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The LA Lakers equalled the record for the best start to the season in franchise history with a 125-103 victory over the Washington Wizards.
Anthony Davis scored 26 points and 13 rebounds while LeBron James made 23 points and 11 assists as the Lakers went 10 gam
American fashion designer Thom Browne and his eponymous label are creating special suits for football giants Barcelona.
For a second year in a row, Browne was selected by the Spanish club to make the team’s official off-pitch uniforms for its 2019/20 Champions League campaign. This time around the sharp suits feature grey cashmere knits, crisp white Oxford shirts, khaki chinos and varsity
SAN FRANCISCO – No matter where this Warriors season is heading, or how inelegant they will look at times, Steph Curry knows it can be worse. That it actually has been worse.
There have been many Warriors seasons over the past quarter-century with no foreseeable improvement, atrocious teams mired in competitive quicksand with no discernable way out.
Of those players on the Warriors roster this season, only Curry knows. He experienced it as a rookie in 2009-10. He remembers it without fondness. And he firmly believes this woebegone season is not like the one that introduced him to the NBA 10 years ago.
“It was tougher when we first got here, for sure,” Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area on Friday. “For one, I didn’t know what I was doing. We were the young guys trying to figure it out. It’s hard when you don’t know what you don’t know because it was that early in that process.
“That first window,” he adds, “it was rough.”
The Warriors in 2008-09, the year before Curry arrived, were as much a circus as a basketball team. They were 29-53. Ownership was inept. General manager Chris Mullin was dumped six wee
Paul Sancya/Associated Press
15. LeBron James, Miami Heat, 2010-11
Season Score: 17.0
Notable Numbers: 26.7 PPG, 7.0 APG, 7.5 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Advanced Metrics: 15.6 WS, 27.3 PER, 8.6 BPM, 8.2 VORP
Wrestling wishes it could have a heel turn this compelling. When James ditched his Northeast Ohio digs for South Beach, he was ready for all the vitriol hurled his direction.
“I’ve kind of accepted this kind of villain role that everyone has placed on me,” James told reporters in Jan. 2011. “I’m OK with it.”
That season, James shot a then-career-high 51.0 percent from the field and led the league in PER for the fourth straight year. And remember, this was when he and Wade were still stepping on each other’s feet as they tried to iron out a pecking order on the fly. Whether you respected James’ decision or not, you couldn’t knock the numbers.
14. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder, 2012-13
Season Score: 16.75
Notable Numbers: 28.1 PPG, 4.6 APG, 7.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 1.3 BPG
Advanced Metrics: 18.9 WS, 28.3 PER, 7.7 BPM, 7.6 VORP
It speaks volumes about the jaw-dropping skill in today’s game that this season doesn’t check in even higher. Durant not only joined the famed 50/40/90 shooting club, but he also gained entry while matching the second-highest scoring average ever paired with that slash line.
His points per game were more than he’d averaged the previous two years, which grows more notable considering he was the scoring champ in both of them. His field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage, assists, steals and blocks all set or tied his career-best marks at that point.
13. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2017-18
Season Score: 14.5
Notable Numbers: 27.5 PPG, 9.1 APG, 8.6 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Advanced Metrics: 14.0 WS, 28.6 PER, 9.6 BPM, 8.9 VORP
The phrase “LeBron isn’t fair” has been used approximately two billion times throughout his career, but it might have reached a fever pitch in 2017-18.
In his age-33 season, he played all 82 games for the first (and still only) time. He als
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James completed his triple-double collection on Tuesday.
With 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 112-107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar became the first player in league history to log a triple-double against all 30 NBA teams, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“I had no idea,” James said after the win, which moved the Lakers to a league-best 12-2. “Coach [Frank] Vogel came in here and said congratulations. I was like, I thought he was joking about my seven turnovers because I’ve been taking care of the ball so much. He said first player in NBA history to have a triple-double versus 30 teams, every team, so I was like, ‘OK. That’s pretty cool.'”
Throughout his career, James has handed out triple-doubles to opponents the way Oprah Winfrey once gifted cars to her audience, but he has upped his rate this season. The Thunder game was James’ fifth triple-double through 14 games, which included a stretch of three straight
SAN ANTONIO — The Los Angeles Lakers look dominant on defense and, in the early going, LeBron James has been a linchpin rather than a liability on that end of the floor.
“I’m playing injury free. I’m not injured. My quick twitch is back. My speed is back, my strength is back,” James said after the Lakers’ 103-96 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
After giving up 112 points and allowing the Los Angeles Clippers to shoot 51.9 percent in an opening night loss, the Lakers have won five games in a row, limiting their opponents to an average of 96.8 points on 38.1 percent shooting.
James, who turns 35 next month and is playing in his 17th season, said the groin injury he suffered on Christmas Day made his defense worse than what he is capable of delivering.
“Playing with a torn groin last year — even when I came back it was still partially torn — it was difficult to be able to move and shift like I’m capable of doing that defensively,” James said. “For me, I just take the challenge. I love being challenged. Coach [Frank Vogel] challenged me, AD [Anthony Davis] challenged me, I challenged myself.
“I put a lot of hard work into my offseason by getting my quick twitch, getting my bounce back, getting my speed back, my reaction time back. My mind has always been there. That’s what it’s all about.”
The numbers support what James is saying. He is contesting 70% of attempts against him, up from 54% last season, according to research by ESPN Stats & Info. He’s also keeping offensive players farther aw
Gunnar Peterson: 3:45 a.m., which means I have to handle my sleep differently than other people. It’s an ongoing thing, right? Some people have a problem getting their training up to speed, some people have a problem locking their nutrition in, and some people just can’t drink enough water. My problem is my sleep and my other forms of recovery. Starting about three years ago, I got really diligent with recovery protocols. NormaTec massage, Headspace [a meditation app], all of those things.
I love that you just grouped Headspace into the recovery suite. Do you track your sleep?
Yeah, I use SleepScore. I try to think of it like this: I’m trying harder, and I’m not perfect at it, but I’m doing better. If I’m keeping tabs on myself and I’m holding myself accountable and I’m not doing it in a stressful way, then I’m already way better off than I was. Sometimes the knee-jerk reaction is to be angry at the app when it tells you that you’re not sleeping well, but I can’t be angry at it. It’s like getting the test back when you know you didn’t study. You can’t be pissed that you got a D, you know? You earned that. You didn’t do the work.
Do you eat before you leave your hou
On Tuesday the NCAA Board of Governors voted unanimously to allow student-athletes to be paid for the use of their name, image and likeness once its three divisions decide on rules for such opportunities, reports USA Today Sports. The updated rules and polices are expected to be implemented by January 2021.
“We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes,” Michael V. Drake, board chair and Ohio State University president, said in a statement. “Additional flexibility in this area can and must continue to support college sports as a part of higher education. This modernization for the future is a natural extension of the numerous steps NCA
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James‘ Tuesday began with him feeding first responders battling the Getty Fire in Los Angeles with tacos and it ended with him dancing along to a boisterous “Taco Tuesday!” chant at Staples Center.
With under two minutes left and the Lakers cruising toward a 120-91 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, James started shouting “Taco Tuesday!” and then followed by pointing to and asking fans near the Lakers bench, “What is it?”
It wasn’t long before the entire crowd was serenading James with a “Taco Tuesday!” chant. James could be seen dancing to the chant and waving on fans as teammates such as DeMarcus Cousins cracked up on the bench.
LeBron loved the fans chanting “Taco Tuesday!” at Staples Center 😄 pic.twitter.com/zOh5549BAP
— SportsCenter (@S
DALLAS — When Luka Doncic played against LeBron James for the first time as an NBA rookie last season, he asked for the Lakers star’s jersey after the game. On Friday, in far less ceremonial fashion, James came into Doncic’s building and took a win away from the Mavericks‘ rising phenom.
James outdueled Doncic with 39 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists to Doncic’s 31 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists in a thrilling 119-110 overtime win for the Lakers as Los Angeles surged back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Doncic, 20, and James, 34, became the youngest and oldest players in NBA history, respectively, to record a 30-10-15 game, and James became the first player to have his stat line combined with four steals (since steals became an official stat in 1973-74).
“I don’t really get into the one-on-one battle,” James said. “Obviously he’s a great young talent, I love his game, his ability to not only create shots for himself, but you guys know I love the fact that he can get great looks for his teammates. That’s what I thrive on, that’s what I’ve always believed in, and he just plays the game the right way.”
Not only did James get the team victory, but in the handful of instances when he found Doncic guarding him on a switch, he won that too. James shot 5-for-7 from the field (4-for-4 from 3) for 15 points with Doncic positioned as his primary defender in the half court, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Doncic, conversely, was 1-for-1 (a 3-pointer) with James guarding him.
Kyle Kuzma, who made his season debut, said the Lakers were hunting that matchup on offense.
“What we were trying to do was get Luka in the most pick-and-rolls possible,” Kuzma said. “Try to find him out there, so that’s kind of what we did. We capitalized on it.”
Still, James showed hi
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Los Angeles Lakers‘ 109-108 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday resulted in a historically triumphant moment in LeBron James‘ 17-year career as well as a historically perplexing one.
On the one hand, the Lakers’ 14-2 start to the season is the best that any of James’ teams has ever achieved through 16 games, edging the 2016-17 Cleveland Cavaliers‘ 13-3 mark. On the other hand, James’ 27 field goal attempts without attempting a single free throw was the most shots he’s ever taken without earning a trip to the line, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information.
“It’s frustrating,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “LeBron’s going to the basket all night long. He took nine 3s, but he’s in the paint all night long. … When your guy’s attacking the basket the way he is and getting zero free throw attempts, it’s something that can be frustrating.”
Sixteen of James’ 27 attempts were in the paint, and after several animated debates with referees Aaron Smith and Jenna Schroeder throughout the game, he continued to plead his case with reporters.
“I’m living in the paint and if you look at my arm right here, these are four or five [scratches] that happened the last two games, and they weren’t called at all,” said James, who ended with a game-high 30 points on 14-for-27 shooting.
He averages 8.1 free throws per game for his career, but his 5.6 free throws per game average this season marks the fewest he’s ever taken. Saturday was just the 14th time in 1,214 career games that he didn’t take a fre
It’s Friday, Nov. 22, 2019. Let’s start here.
1. Hill and Holmes
Dr. Fiona Hill, the former top Russia expert on the National Security Council, testified on Thursday that she had fears Rudy Giuliani’s actions in Ukraine “would probably come back to haunt us.”
She also warned lawmakers about conspiracy theories advancing the Russian agenda, debunking a theory backed by some Republicans that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election, “This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves.”
Hill was joined by David Holmes, a U.S. diplomat in Kiev who claims he overheard a phone conversation between President Donald Trump and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland where the president asked about an “investigation.”
ABC News Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran reflects on their testimony on “Start Here” today, “They sit down and really they take center stage in the final act of the drama of these hearings. They are the ones who wrap it all up.”
2. Netanyahu indictment
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted on bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges, throwing the country deeper into political chaos.
ABC News’ Jordana Miller tells “Start Here” that Israel is facing the possibility of a third election in a year.
Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty Images
“Start Here,” ABC News’ flagship podcast, offers a straightforward look at the day’s top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn or the ABC News app.
As Pacific Gas & Electric deliberately shut off power to homes and businesses to prevent wildfires, it has failed to communicate with California officials, given conflicting accounts about when the lights would go out and advised people to get information “the old-fashioned way, through calling on a landline.”
The behemoth power company is still struggling to get it right, weeks after it first started plunging millions of people into darkness to prevent strong winds from toppling its power lines and igniting fires.
PG&E’s widespread power outages have come in waves in October, sparking reprimands from state officials and growing anger as the blackouts stretch on for days in Northern California.
Caught in the middle are millions of customers forced to endure without the needs of modern life. About 900,000 people remained in the dark Wednesday, some since Saturday.
“Northern California residents are exhausted. They’re fried. And this is completely unacceptable,” said state Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat who represents vast swaths of areas still in the dark. “Californians deserve better from this utility.”
Winds calmed down Wednesday, easing the dangerous fire conditions and allowing PG&E to shift its focus to getting the electricity back on.
But the pain moved south, where several fires broke out amid howling winds in the Los Angeles area and forced evacuations. The utility in the region, Southern California Edison, shut off power to 178,000 people.
Two powerful windstorms have pounded Northern California in less than a week, prompting PG&E to shut off the lights three times in one week and four times this month. But its equipment still may have ignited a massive blaze in Sonoma County wine country that has destroyed 94 homes and forced more than 150,000 people to flee.
PG&E faced crushing condemnation for its poor execution in the first widespread blackout Oct. 9 _ its website failed, and customers couldn’t get through by phone. People were confused about when and where the power would go out.
Local governments complained about the lack of communication before the Oct. 9 outage and filed reports with regulators. In a response filed Wednesday with the Public Utilities Commission, PG&E acknowledged “various, and in some cases, extreme, shortcomings, including failure of the website, and co-ordination with state local and tribal governments” during the shut-off.
But it said it has since updated its website “to provide helpful and useful information to the public.”
Many of its customers disagreed, saying it was difficult to get to a map of outages and find specifics on when the electricity would go off or come back on.
“I woke up in the middle of the night and smelled smoke. I wanted to use my phone to find if fire was nearby, but the battery was out, and without electricity, I couldn’t charge it,” Judy Keene said Monday.
The Berkeley resident said her old-fashioned phone didn’t work either.
“I thought our landline would work,” Keene said. “That’s the reason we had a landline.”
Mark Quinlan, PG&E’s senior director of emergency preparedness and response, appeared stumped Tuesday night when asked how people should get information when the power is already out and many cellphone towers have stopped working.
“People could get the information from a website through family,” he suggested, “or they could just get it the old-fashioned way through calling on a landline.”
Fewer than half of U.S. households have a landline, accordi
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Sophomore forward Shy Odom posted 20 points and 11 rebounds as Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, California) moved to 3-0 on the year with a 59-46 victory over Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) on Saturday in the San Diego Tip-Off Challenge.
BJ Boston added 12 points for the Trailblazers, who are ranked eighth in the USA Today Super 25 poll. Obinna Anyanwu paced Cathedral Catholic with 13 points.
Zaire Wade, the son of retired 13-time NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade, scored six points. He hit a Eurostep to give Sierra Canyon a 40-27 third-quarter edge and followed that up with a step-back for a 44-30 Trailblazers lead. Wade also excelled on the defensive end, coming up with a few steals and blocks.
Bronny James, the son of the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, scored three points. His bucket from downtown came at a good time, as James opened the fourth-quarter scoring to give Sierra Canyon a 49-37 edge.
Cathedral Catholic started the game on a 12-0 run and ended the first quarter up 16-9. Full-Time Hoops credited its defense:
Full-Time Hoops @FullTimeHoops1
End 1: Cathedral Catholic 16, Sierra Canyon 9. Dons zone defense has stymied the Trailblazers offense thus far. Obinna Anyanwu leads all scorers w
It’s Friday, Nov. 22, 2019. Let’s start here.
1. Hill and Holmes
Dr. Fiona Hill, the former top Russia expert on the National Security Council, testified on Thursday that she had fears Rudy Giuliani’s actions in Ukraine “would probably come back to haunt us.”
She also warned lawmakers about conspiracy theories advancing the Russian agenda, debunking a theory backed by some Republicans that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election, “This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves.”
Hill was joined by David Holmes, a U.S. diplomat in Kiev who claims he overheard a phone conversation between President Donald Trump and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland where the president asked about an “investigation.”
ABC News Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran reflects on their testimony on “Start Here” today, “They sit down and really they take center stage in the final act of the drama of these hearings. They are the ones who wrap it all up.”
2. Netanyahu indictment
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted on bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges, throwing the country deeper into political chaos.
ABC News’ Jordana Miller tells “Start Here” that Israel is facing the possibility of a third election in a year.
Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty Images
“Start Here,” ABC News’ flagship podcast, offers a straightforward look at the day’s top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn or the ABC News app.
PHOENIX — Anthony Davis had a wrap on his right shoulder before the game and tape around his ribs by the end of it, but neither setback stopped him from putting up 24 points and 12 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 123-115 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
“He wants to play,” said LeBron James when asked about Davis after L.A. pushed its record to 8-2 to start the season. “He wants to play, and we just have to pick it up.
“For him, when he’s showing that grit when he’s playing with injuries, there’s no reason for any of us not to be out there as well. He’s been showing everything.”
Davis, who has been playing through right shoulder soreness, took a shot to the ribs in the first quarter, eventually retreating to the locker room between the third and fourth quarters to get taped up.
The Lakers said X-rays on his ribs came back negative and that he’ll be reevaluated Wednesday.
“Umm, thank you, LeBron,” Davis said when informed of James’ postgame remarks. “I just want to play. Like I said, it’s tough for me to lead from the sideline.
“The more I can do on the floor to help this team win, that’s what I try to do. I know what our goal is, I know what we’re trying to build. So the more I can try to stay on the floor, the more steps we move toward our goal.”
Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Davis was “playing through a lot of pain
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TMZSports.com
It’s been 11 years since Dwight Howard won the NBA Dunk Contest with that insane Superman slam … and now DH says he’s given serious thought to doing it AGAIN!!!
“I thought about it. I’m getting my legs back. I feel young again,” 33-year-old Howard told us outside The Window burger joint in Venice.
When we asked if entering the 2020 contest was a real possibility, Howard wouldn’t commit … instead telling us his main focus this season in winning an NBA title with the Lakers.
“I have thought about it, but winning the championship is the most important thing. I have all the individual accolades but I don’t have the trophy so hopefully, we can win this title this year, which I believe we can.”
There’s A LOT more with Dwight … including why he thinks his second stint with the Lakers is going so much better than his first time in L.A. back in 2012.
“We’re all healthy,” Howard said. “We all have one goal and one mission and the Most High has really blessed us.”
Howard says the Lakers locker room is solid this seaso
Joe Murphy/Getty Images
Just one of the seven contests in the 2016 Finals was decided by fewer than 11 points, so it’s not as though this series wins the award on the basis of consistently competitive games. But when you consider all the factors that went into the second of four straight Finals meetings between the Cavs and Warriors, and when you also weigh the fallout, it’s hard to find a playoff series that meant more.
For starters, we’re dealing with the 73-9 Warriors here. They blitzed the league all year, amassing the most wins we’ve ever seen in a season as Stephen Curry drilled a record 402 three-point shots—crushing the record for makes (286) he set the season before by an incomprehensible 116 more treys. Curry also set the record for offensive box plus/minus that season (which still stands) and became the league’s first unanimous MVP.
Despite such a dominant campaign, Golden State fell behind 3-1 against the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, only to surge back and a
David Zalubowski/Associated Press
Social Media Revenge Game Award
Kyrie Irving didn’t suit up for his new team’s first away game against his former team, the Boston Celtics, because of a shoulder injury.
That didn’t stop the Celtics faithful from booing him. And it didn’t stop Kyrie from adding fuel to the revenge-game fire by posting a long and winding essay on the meaning of life and sports on Instagram.
Marc Stein of the New York Times posted a screen grab of the post that read, in part:
“It happens all the time and Tonight just shows how Sports/Entertainment will always be ignorant and obtrusive. It’s one big SHOW that means Very VERY little in the real world that most people live in because there are Actually things that matter going on within it…Butttt, This Game of Sports entertainment matters more than someone’s mental health and well being right? Or the real life things that happen to people everyday but they still have to Perform for the NBA and its fans? Right? It’s all about doing it for the fans and organization that love you so much? Think again, It’s a GAME, and it’s promoted as a Fandom experience for ticket buyers a
LeBron James opened his I Promise school in Akron, Ohio, over a year ago and now plans to provide transitional housing for students and families in need of safe shelter.
The LeBron James Family Foundation and Graduate Hotels announced plans for the I Promise Village by Graduate Hotels to help I Promise students whose families might be fighting challenges such as homelessness, domestic violence or other traumatic or unsafe situations.
“Initially, our work was focused on helping these kids earn an education,” James said in a statement. “But we’ve found that it is impossible to help them learn if they are struggling to survive — if they are hungry, if they have no heat in the freezing winter, if they live in fe
NEW ORLEANS — Late in the Lakers‘ 114-110 win over the Pelicans in Anthony Davis‘ homecoming Wednesday, LeBron James visited the ESPN broadcast table to express his disappointment with a call that was being reviewed.
With the Lakers leading the Pelicans 108-107 with 1:22 left in the fourth quarter, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was called for a shooting foul on New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram.
With Caldwell-Pope throwing his hands up in disbelief at the whistle, Frank Vogel used his coach’s challenge to prompt crew chief Zach Zarba to review the call.
James approached ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy courtside to share how incredulous he was with the review process.
“That’s a bad call,” James said, which was picked up on the game broadcast. “When the ref makes that call, he don’t never want to be
On their own, the images kindle and spellbind. In the collective, however, they transform into something even more incandescent. There is Spike Lee, courtside at a Knicks basketball game, his hands placed at his hips as if to suggest a kind of self-satisfaction. And Prince in a pair of black sunglasses furiously sipping from a straw. Or the time Ebony avoided elimination on America’s Next Top Model and had an even more unforgettable reaction. There’s Drake overcome with intense excitement, and the cast of Empire looking on with white-hot suspicion. Come November on Black Twitter, these images are no longer just cultural ephemera, they are reframed into a kind of shared text for users who partake in #ThanksgivingWithBlackFamilies—far and away the season’s best hashtag.
If, as the artist Aria Dean suggests, “the internet is a prime condition for black culture to thrive,” then #ThanksgivingWithBlackFamilies is Black Twitter at its blackest. Which is to say it is black cultural production at the summit. The hashtag began its life on Twitter a few years ago, but soon spread to Instagram and Facebook. In 2015, it also spawned the equally-hilarious #ThanksgivingClapback—a dangerously accurate account of relatives dishing that good old holiday shade, which YouTuber Jay Nedaj captured perfectly in video form two years later. For me, the brilliance of the hashtag is how it threads together public life with one’s personal memories—it turns nostalgia into a rhapsodic hybrid; no longer are these just records of the past; the moments are updated and given currency in the now, the always.
Suddenly
It’s official, NBA’s sneaker don P.J. Tucker, has officially signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Nike. The Houston Rockets forward’s previous deal with Nike expired last month, though most expected Tucker to re-sign with Nike.
Tucker made the announcement via LeBron James’ sports platform Uninterrupted. In an IGTV video Tucker revealed his love for the shoe game, from growing up to wearing shoes on the court “that were worth so much, I wouldn’t tell my mom,” before revealing he’s “signing back wit
As Anthony Davis fielded questions about what his return to New Orleans on Wednesday might feel like, he stared across the Los Angeles Lakers‘ locker room at someone who already has answers about how to navigate an uneasy homecoming: LeBron James.
Of course James remembers the animosity in the air when he played his first game in Cleveland with the Miami Heat. He remembers it so well that he knows the date — Dec. 2, 2010 — as if it were a loved one’s birthday.
Nearly a decade later, James is trying to prepare Davis for what to expect when New Orleans Pelicans fans will surely pelt him with vitriol pent up from seeing their franchise player walk out the door. In the past week, a number of Lakers spoke about the issue.
“I talked to him,” James said, “because I know what it’s like going into a situation where you would call home for seven years. … He’s a kid when he got there, and he became a man along that seven-year journey, so it’s just going to be a different situation for him personally.”
Davis said he has already had a dress rehearsal. “[I] felt like I was on the other side,” he said, when he was booed at home in February in his first game after the trade deadline when he was still with the Pelicans despite requesting a trade. This time, he will actually be on the other side when he is introduced as a Laker.
“I got a little taste of it, but I know it’s going to be even worse,” Davis said last week.
A couple of days later, as the game drew closer, he was more blunt about what he expected.
“I’m pretty sure every time I catch the ball, it’s probably going to be boos and stuff like that,” Davis said. “Obviously they’re fans of the Pelicans. And I understand why they feel that way, but it’s all love on my end.”
Lining up for the Pelicans, if healthy, will be former Lakers Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart — only adding juice to the matchup.
“It’s going to be a great battle,” Davis said. “Those guys are going to try to take our heads off just to prove a point and — I don’t want to say I want to take their heads off, [but] I just want to win it.”
James might have played the most notable “reunion game” out of all the Lakers, but he is not the only one of Davis’ teammates to experience it firsthand.
“I’m pretty sure every time I catch the ball, it’s probably g
Tory BarronESPN Editor
On Wednesday night, Anthony Davis will make his highly anticipated return to his former home of New Orleans. Given the way in which he left — by announcing he would not re-sign with the Pelicans and demanding a trade — the odds of him receiving a warm welcome are, well, low.
In fact, there’s probably a greater chance of Golden State reclaiming the NBA title this season than there is of Davis being greeted with anything less than a resounding chorus of boos. Sorry to drag you into this, Warriors fans: It’s not your fault.
While there’s likely little The Brow can do to quell the hostile environment (aside from putting up ridiculous numbers to quiet the crowd), he can take solace in knowing that he is far from the first athlete to go from beloved to disdained by an organization’s entire fan base.
Seriously, if we included every contentious homecoming in sports, this article would start to drag on longer than that awkward conversation with the relative who corners you at Thanksgiving when all you wanted was for them to pass the mashed potatoes. So instead we’ll just regale you with some of the most memorable ones from over the years. … This one’s for you, AD.
LeBron James went from hailed as a hero to jeered as a villain quicker than the writers of “Game of Thrones.”
The environment was nothing short of combative as LeBron James returned to Cleveland for the first time as a member of the Miami Heat. The feelings of betrayal, disappointment and vitriol directed at him were tangible in the arena — and in the city as a whole.
LeBron wasn’t just the most popular sports figure in town, he was one of their own. So his departure for South Beach brought about a different level of anguish to the championship-starved city whose hopes and dreams rested upon his shoulders.
The “kid from Akron” was showered in boos and obscenities from former fans. Some of them threw things (including beverages and a battery) while others held signs reading things such as: “Quitness,” “Witnessed No Championship,” along with the more straightforward “I Hate LeBron.” According to the team, four fans were ejected and one was arrested that night.
King James powered through the animosity to score 38 points en route to a 118-90 Heat win.
Bryce Harper was greeted by a chorus of boos in his return to D.C. on #MLBNShowcase. pic.twitter.com/bxYPngzhPI
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 2, 2019
From favored son to public enemy No. 1. Bryce Harper, who left the Nationals to sign a record-breaking 13-year, $330 million deal with National League East rival Philadelphia over the offseason, didn’t garner an exceptionally warm welcome when he returned to Nationals Park for the first time.
Fans showered him with boos during a pregame tribute video, then cheered loudly as ace Max Scherzer struck him out in his first at-bat. The heckling didn’t sit well with Harper as he called fans out after the game saying they “crossed the line.”
Some will argue this reception was petty as Harper simply went to the highest bidder; others will say loyalty should count for something.
We’ll just say this: The Nationals went on to win the World Series the season after he left.
Thunder fans booing KD as he takes the floor pregame. pic.twitter.com/ViwMSeA31X
— Tim Cato (@tim_cato) February 12, 2017
Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: A game to live in NBA infamy. No departure had caused such a ruckus around the Association since King James was hounded for “The Decision.”
You didn’t have to spend much time in OKC to see just how much Kevin Durant meant to the city — the guy even had a restaurant named after him (the establishment closed in the wake of his departure but has since reopened with a different name
The job of Lakers head coach hasn’t been a particularly secure one for most of this decade and with LeBron James and Anthony Davis now on the roster, the margin for error is slim — assuming it exists.
Luckily for the Lakers’ newest head coach, Frank Vogel, the team has gotten off to a tremendous 14-2 start, and he and his coaching staff are getting their due credit.
After the Lakers’ 109-108 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, James, who led all scorers with 30 points, praised the coaching staff for the work they’ve done this season:
“Our coaching staff prepares. They do a great scout. Give us great video throughout the course of the game, let us know what teams are running or what to be prepared for. And then we just trust our communication. We know what we’re doing coming out of a timeout, no matter if we’re up or down, and then we rely on that. We’ve been able to get stops at the end of the ball game two nights in a row and it’s worked toward wins.”
Prior to this season, Vogel hadn’t coached since the 2017-18 season. The same was true of one of his top assistants, Jason Kidd. But between Vogel, Kidd, Lionel Hollins and Phil Handy, the Lakers have enough experience on the sidelines to get them where they need to be by the time the postseason rolls around.
Obviously a lot of that falls on the players thems
SAN ANTONIO — LeBron James banked in his first 3-pointer of the night and swished his fourth to move past Peja Stojakovic for No. 18 on the career 3-pointers list in the Lakers‘ 114-104 win over the Spurs on Monday.
It turns out the Spurs are partly responsible for James’ 3-point shot improving the way it has.
“I just want to be able to not have any weaknesses, you know, and allow a defense to dictate what I do,” James told Spectrum Sports after the game. “Because of the Spurs, in a lot of my early years, [they are] part of the reason why my jump shot is a lot better today. My first Finals appearance in ’07, they went under on everything and I didn’t shoot the ball, I wasn’t comfortable with shooting the ball at that point in time in my career. So I give a lot of thanks to their scheme, a lot of thanks to a lot of other teams that I went against.”
James’ 33 points and 14 assists paced Los Angeles on a night when the entire team seemingly found its stroke, as the Lakers shot 14-for-33 (42.4%) from the outside, continuing a recent trend.
In their past five games, all wins, the Lakers are shooting 43% from 3 and 47% on open 3s, this after shooting 32% from 3 and 39% on open 3s through the first 12 games of the season.
“We’re continuing to commit to no-force offense,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “We’re going to keep the action moving and keep making the extra pass until it’s open. We have open looks, this team is going to knock them down. LeBron was being play
Alonzo Mourning is undoubtedly an NBA legend. But among young people and internet savvy folks, he may be more famous for his starring role in a popular meme.
Mourning and the reigning champion Miami Heat were trailing the Chicago Bulls by 30 points in the fourth quarter of their 2006-2007 season opener when the cameras caught the eventual Hall of Famer in a somewhat compromised state. His jaw clenched, Mourning shook his head in dismay and frustration before slowly nodding, seemingly coming to terms with his team’s unfortunate start to the year.
The internet has co-opted the clip into
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers managed to pull out yet another close game as they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies to move to 14-2 and achieve their second seven-game winning streak of the 2019-20 NBA season.
The Grizzlies opened up the game scorching from the field as they knocked down their first eight three-pointers of the game en route to an early double-digit lead. The Lakers were not sharp on either end as they often settled for poor jump shots and failed to get out to contest beyond the arc.
However, the second half was a different story as they came out much more focused and attentive and they began to generate good looks and recapture the momentum. Even with the game looking like it might slip away from them late, the Lakers remained calm and were able to execute down the stretc
There’s no question that Dwyane Wade was an absolute legend throughout his 17-year career on the hardwood. But now that he’s retired, he’s taken on a new courtside role as cheerleader.
Wade’s son Zaire and LeBron James’ son LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. began their first high-school season this year at Sierra Canyon, a private school in California. Their first game was broadcast on ESPN on Thursday, and Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union, featured prominently on the sidelines.
—NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 22, 2019
The duo got out of their seats and cheered
No player in the NBA is hotter than Luka Doncic at the moment.
The 20-year-old Dallas Mavericks star is on a tear, averaging 37 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists per game while shooting 55% from the field and 44% from three over the last four games. He’s two-tenths of an assist shy from averaging a 30-point triple-double per game for the entire season.
Doncic’s latest outburst came on Sunday, when he scored 41 points on 15-of-29 shooting, to go with 6 rebounds and 10 assists in a 137-123 win over the Houston Rockets.
What makes Doncic’s run so incredible and so captivating
Odell Beckham Jr. paid homage to one of his favorite Nike shoes in the latest models of his pregame cleats, taking inspiration from fellow star athlete LeBron James. Arriving in colorways of teal, pink and black and grey, black and pink, the wide receiver’s newest Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro 3 OBJ Uptempo Cleat is heavily influenced by the LeBron 8 and LeBron 9 Elite “South Beach” — two iterations created when Jam
Rick Scuteri/Associated Press
It’s Thanksgiving week in America, and the Los Angeles Lakers have plenty for which to be thankful. Their gamble on the Anthony Davis and LeBron James partnership appears to be working masterfully, the supporting cast is playing complementary basketball and L.A. sits at 14-2 as a result.
However, this doesn’t mean that the Lakers wouldn’t like to improve their roster. It’s a long season, and having additional talent on the bench would help ensure that Davis and James both make it to the proverbial finish line.
This is why Los Angles continues to be linked to former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala. Even at 35, Iguodala could be a valuable depth player who helps the Lakers continue to thrive with their second unit. The problem is that he is still a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Iguodala was traded to Memphis from the Golden State Warriors in the offseason. At the time, the prevailing thought was that Memphis would buy out his contract, as Iguodala was clear about not wanting to play for the organization.
Los Angeles was a logical landing spot.
“Best combination of ring chance and role,” one unnamed league executive told The Athletic’s David Aldridge in early November.
If the Lakers are interested in adding Iguodala, though, they’re apparently going to have to pony up some trade capital. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Memphis has made it clear that buying out Iguodala’s contract isn’t in the team’s plans.
“The message that Memphis has been delivering to the entire league, to teams who would love t
Bronny James, Sierra Canyon High School’s prep phenom and the son of NBA star LeBron James, played three games in three days in the San Diego Tip-Off Challenge.
Here are his best plays.
First dunk:
0:41
Bronny James Jr. flies to the basket and throws down a hammer dunk and then gives a smile for the camera.
First bucket:
0:21
Bronny James pulls up and splashes a 3-pointer for his first career high school basket.
Teaming up with Wade:
0:35
Bronny James Jr. and Zaire Wade throw down some nice dunks with a little help from their Sierra Canyon teammates.
Sierra Canyon will next play at Duncanville (Texas) High School on Nov. 30 as part of the Thanksgiving Hoopfest tournament.
Nikki Boertman/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers won their 14th game in 15 attempts as they beat the host Memphis Grizzlies 109-108 on Saturday at FedExForum.
The 14-2 Lakers, who own the NBA‘s best record, have won seven straight. The 5-10 Grizzlies have lost three consecutive games.
This win did not come easily for the Lakers, who fell behind by as many as 15 points in the second quarter and trailed 105-100 after a Brandon Clarke tip-in with 3:24 remaining.
However, Anthony Davis keyed a 9-0 Lakers run in response. The big man hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 105 and made a tip-in to end the run and extend L.A.’s lead to 109-105 with 54.3 seconds left.
A Dillon Brooks free throw and Ja Morant two-pointer cut the lead to 109-108, and the Grizzlies got the ball back with 1.3 seconds left following a missed three-pointer from LeBron James.
But the Grizz turned the ball over inbounding from their own end, effectively sealing the game.
James led all scorers with 30 points, and Davis dominated on the defensive end with five blocks and three steals.
For Memphis, Ja Morant continued his case to be named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year with 26 points, six dimes and five steals. Jae Crowder and Jaren Jackson Jr. complemented Morant’s efforts by combining for 41 points and 13 boards.
Notable Performances
Lakers G/F LeBron James: 30 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Lakers F Anthony Davis: 22 points, 5 blocks, 3 steals
Lakers G Rajon Rondo: 14 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds
Grizzlies G Ja Morant: 26 points, 6 assists, 5 steals
Grizzlies F Jae Crowder: 21 points, 6 rebounds
Grizzlies F Jaren Jackson Jr.: 20 points, 7 rebounds
Ja Morant Shines in Memphis’ Loss
The Lakers entered Saturday third in defensive rating, per NBA.com, but you wouldn’t have known that based on Morant’s performance Saturday.
The superstar rookie dominated, nearly helping the Grizz pull off a huge upset over the league’s best team.
One can use
Rajon Rondo was fined $35,000 for unsportsmanlike physical contact with Dennis Schroder and verbal abuse of a game official, the NBA officially announced on Nov. 23.
In a rare home-and-home situation between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder, Rondo and Schroder received double technicals early in the second quarter.
While the double technicals served as a warning to both players in the first half, Rondo later kneed Schroder in the groin area early in the fourth quarter. After review, the 33-year-old was assessed a flagrant foul two and was ejected.
Rondo also did not leave the court in a timely manner.
Despite being shorthanded at the point guard position without Rondo and Avery Bradley, the Lakers still defeated the Thunder 130-127 to begin their four-game road trip.
As Rondo was only fined and not suspended any games, he addre
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James tweeted early Monday morning that he and his family had to evacuate their home because of the wildfires that are blazing throughout California.
Early Monday, a brush fire broke out along the west side of Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, north of Sunset Boulevard and near the Getty Center. As of 7:45 a.m. PT, the fire, which begin at 1:30 a.m. PT, was moving westward and had grown to more than 500 acres, with approximately 10,000 homes and commercial buildings under mandatory evacuation orders.
Said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti: “Get out when we say get out.”
Footage from motorists traveling down 405 Freeway shows fire that erupted on hillside near Getty Center museum in Southern California. https://t.co/6ivdt5T21Z pic.twitter.com/ZCUhsWcG3I
— ABC News (@ABC) October 28, 2019
The Los Angeles Fire Department called the fire “a very dynamic situation” due to high winds from 15-20 mph, and that approximately 500 firefighters are grappling with the blaze.
Among the areas evac
Here is how strange the first month of the N.B.A. season has been: The Portland Trail Blazers, who have done O.K. offensively but poorly on defense, turned to Carmelo Anthony to solve their problems this week. They offered him a starting job right out of the gate, even though he is not known for defensive prowess and hasn’t played well in years.
There are scores of injured star players. Several teams that are usually in the playoff race have some of the worst records in the league. There is a player (James Harden) averaging nearly 40 — 40! — points a game, while shooting only 42.9 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from 3-point range. And speaking of unusual performances: Andrew Wiggins, in his sixth season, appears to be making the jump from disappointingly average to elite.
The strangeness of this season seems to be affecting viewership, with lackluster national television ratings so far. That is despite the largest field of championship contenders the N.B.A. has seen in decades. On paper, this parity should be interesting. Harden is putting together an offensive season that might be the greatest in more than 50 years. The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are outscoring opponents at a level unseen from any team last season.
Blame the standings. Blame the injuries to stars. Blame the most popular players’ being on the West Coast, making them less visible to much of the country (which is asleep when they play). Whatever the reason: The N.B.A. has some issues that aren’t going away.
But even a “meh” N.B.A. season has its share of showmanship and intriguing early trends. So I’m going to combine my love of theater with basketball to present to you a Broadway-themed version of takeaways for the first month of the season.
All figures are reflective of statistics going into Thursday’s games.
Before the season, it was unclear who the top-tier teams would be. After a month, two franchises are separating themselves from the rest of the pack: the Lakers and the Bucks, both of whom are outscoring teams by almost 10 points a game and have each won five games in a row.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee’s star, is somehow even better than he was last season, when he won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award. He’s averaging more points, rebounds, assists and steals while shooting better percentages. LeBron James, not to be outdone, is putting up some of the best numbers of his career with the Lakers, leading the league in assists per game (11.1) in his mid-30s. The last player to do that over an entire season was a 36-year-old Steve Nash in 201
Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis (3) grabs a rebound next to Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 112-107. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
By The Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Anthony Davis scored 24 of his 33 points in the second half to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 130-127 on Friday night (Saturday, PHL time).
Davis also had 11 rebounds and seven assists, and LeBron James added 23 points and 14 assists. The Lakers have won six in a row to improve the best record in the NBA to 13-2.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and Steven Adams added 22 for the Thunder. They have lost five of six.
Los Angeles guard Rajon Rondo was ejected early in the fourth quarter after a kick to Dennis Schroder’s groin area.
CLIPPERS 122, ROCKETS 119
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard hit a go-ahead jumper with 15 seconds remaining to finish with 24 points and lift Los Angeles over Houston.
Russell Westbrook missed at the other end and Paul George got the rebound while getting fouled. He made both free throws with 1 second left to complete a wild finish and help the Clippers improve to 10-1 at home with their fourth win in a row overall.
James Harden couldn’t get a shot off on the Rockets’ final possession as time expired.
George scored 19 points in his second game playing with Leonard. Lou Williams led the Clippers with 26 — all in the second half. Montrezl Harrell added 18 points.
Harden had 37 points and 12 assists for the Rockets. Russell Westbrook added 22 points before f
MIND OF THE MATTER
There’s no single answer to the question of why I lose my mind at the beginning of my sophomore year of college. There are just things that happ
Adam Pantozzi/Getty Images
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, California) coasted to a 75-54 win over Saint Augustine (San Diego) at the San Diego Tip-Off Challenge on Friday.
BJ Boston, a Kentucky signee who scored 22 points the day before, led the way with 23 more plus six rebounds Friday. Terren Frank, who’s headed to TCU, pitched in 22 points.
Per Full-Time Hoops, Chibuzo Agbo led Saint Augustine with 24 points and 11 boards.
Bronny James, the son of four-time NBA MVP LeBron James, contributed the play of the night with this ferocious slam to continue Sierra Canyon’s excellent second half:
Sierra Canyon earned a 17-9 lead after the first quarter, but Saint Augustine cut the deficit to three by halftime. However, the Trailblazers dominated the second half, outscoring their opponents 24-12 in the third before rolling to the 21-point win.
Sierra Canyon’s Z
McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for “Jennifer”
Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA
The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season
Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors
Wade’s Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season
Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle
Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear
29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points
Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami
Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll
Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year
Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine
LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books
Young’s Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka
LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album
Wade’s #OneLastDance Dominated February
Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph
Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks
Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans
ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes
LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double against all 30 teams in the league. But which of his triple-doubles are the best? In this edition of B/R Countdown, we count down LeBron’s top 10 career triple-doubles.
Watch the video above for all of the highlights.
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Chris Marion/Getty Images
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
While the basketball world may not get to watch LeBron James and Dwyane Wade play together anymore after the pair won two championships with the Miami Heat, their sons suited up for the same team Thursday.
LeBron James Jr., nicknamed Bronny, and Zaire Wade helped lead the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers to a 91-44 victory over San Diego’s Montgomery High School. It was James’ high school debut, although he has already made national waves at the AAU level.
While James came off the bench, his squad wasted little time turning heads.
Wade threw down an alley-oop in the first quarter for two of his six points, and the Trailblazers jumped out to an insurmountable lead before halftime. That gave the freshman an early opportunity to make an impact, and his first high school points came on a three-pointer from the wing.
eric sondheimer @latsondhei
Harry How/Getty Images
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James reportedly gave the front office his “blessing” to sign Carmelo Anthony during the offseason, but the team chose to go in a different direction.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported the background details Friday and provided comments from Anthony about his extended stay on the free-agent market before signing with the Portland Trail Blazers this week:
“Honestly, I think it was more of, not intimidation, but it was more so teams not wanting to put themselves in that situation of having to deal with what role I was going to accept and questioning if I was going to accept my role and the media [attention] that’s behind it all. Just everything that comes along with bringing me in. Nobody knew where I was at, as far as what I was thinking. I think it was more so of everything else outside of basketball. I don’t think anybody thought, ‘Oh, he can’t play anymore. He can’t do this.’ It was everything that had to do with outside of basketball.”
There has been speculation about James and Anthony playing alongside each other on a consistent basis as two of the top three picks in the 2003 draft have b
Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman has signed a long-term contract extension, the team announced Friday.
Owner Dan Gilbert tasked Altman with reshaping the roster and organization post-LeBron James, which has included the drafting of a promising backcourt — Collin Sexton and Darius Garland — and the hiring of well-regarded University of Michigan coach John Beilein.
“Koby has been a culture-driver and an innovator who has built a fresh, new foundation and environment for our front office and team that inspires everyone involved,” Gilbert said in a statement. “He is a passionate leader who is executing a very dynamic, strategic plan for the future of the team and our vision for growth and success. Koby’s collaborative approach has also extended beyond the team and had a consistent, positive impact across our entire organization. I look forward to seeing his hard work and creativity continue to m
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James destroyed Nemanja Bjelica with a dunk in the first half on Friday. Obliterated him. Might as well have turned Bjelica’s No. 88 uniform on its side and sent him off to infinity, and beyond.
It was a career highlight reel-worthy throwdown for James on the same day he declared at shootaround that he, at 34, is like New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, at 42: timeless.
“Me and Tom Brady are one in the same,” he said. “We’re going to play until we can’t walk no more.”
0:27
LeBron James muscles by Nemanja Bjelica along the baseline and drops in a layup while drawing a foul.
But after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 99-97 win over the Sacramento Kings, to bring Los Angeles’ record to 10-2, there were no questions posed to James about the jam.
You see, Anthony Davis, whose first-half line of three shots and two rebounds was, well, even less productive than Bjelica’s, kind of made everything else that happened in the first 47 minutes and 57.7 seconds of game action somewhat irrelevant when he swatted away Harrison Barnes‘ potential game-tying shot just before the final buzzer.
“Barnes came to the basket and AD’s as good as anybody in the world at making that play,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “Made a terrific play to save the game.”
Vogel wasn’t being hyperbolic. It was Davis’ fourth blocked shot of the game, a tick above his average of 3.0 blocks, which is both a career best and also the best average in the NBA, which happens to be the best basketball league in the world.
“Just try to go straight up, go vertical,” Davis said when asked what it’s like to be the only guy between the ball and the basket with the game on the line. “Try to make them finish through contact. And once I saw that the ball was low, I had a pretty good instinct of blocking the shot. So I just wanted to make sure I went vertical first and made it tough on him, and if he made the shot, he made it. But the most importa
LeBron James MADE HISTORY by becoming the first player in NBA history to have a triple-double against all 30 teams! He finished with 25 PTS, 11 REB & 10 AST to lead the Lakers to a 112-107 win over the Thunder.
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The keto diet is a trendy and exacting eating plan that involves almost entirely eliminating carbs, instead subsisting on high-fat foods like oils, avocados, cream, and bacon.
People adhere to keto for all kinds of reasons. The keto diet can help fend off tough-to-treat epileptic seizures in children, and holds some promise as a way to manage type-2 diabetes in adults.
Now it appears there’s one more potential benefit: flu fighting-power.
Research released Friday from scientists at Yale University, and performed in mice, showed that rodents who were fed a ketogenic, high-fat, low-carb laboratory diet for one week before they were exposed to the flu were more likely to survive than mice on regular lab diets.
Keto mice may be slightly better flu-fighters because of how the immune cells in their lungs respond to running on fat.
Wikipedia/Rasbak
In the study, researchers found that specific immune cells that help produce mucus in the linings of the lung are bolstered by being on a keto diet. More mucus production means more chances to trap the flu virus.
Mice on keto also maintained their weight better if they did get the flu, upping their chances of survival. The same wasn’t true of other mice, even if
Even though Magic Johnson no longer holds a formal role with the Los Angeles Lakers, the legendary point guard still has a vested interest in his former franchise’s ongoing success.
And with LeBron James at the helm, it’s safe to say the purple and gold are in good hands.
At the 29th Annual Achilles Gala — a celebration of disabled athletes through Cigna and Achilles International — Johnson spoke about how impressed he’s been with James’ play as of late.
“Right now — this season — he’s playing as well as I’ve
We live in odd athletic times. Losing has never been this fashionable. Look no further than the 2019 Miami Dolphins, who, as the season was about to kick off, traded two starters for a haul of future draft picks. The Dolphins decided, in modern parlance, to “tank,” or sacrifice the present for the potential of a brighter future. The Fins suffered 59-10 and 43-0 shellackings in their first two games. Then they traded another starter.
Tanking is now an acceptable form of sports behavior, creating stark inequality in the standings. For only the second time ever, for example, four baseball teams lost more than 100 games in a single season. Not coincidentally, four teams won 100 games for the first time in history. The Cleveland Browns gutted their roster to finish 1-31 in 2016 and 2017. The Philadelphia 76ers won 19% of their games from the 2014 through 2016 seasons. “Trust the Process!” Sixers fans would chant, with some trademark Broad Street bitterness. Now, hoops pundits wait for the latest NBA bottom-feeders to emerge. Scouts for the dysfunctional New York Knicks and the injury-riddled Golden State Warriors will surely begin to rack up frequent-flier miles, as they scour the country for the top college prospects they’ll likely select in the 2020 draft.
LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score a triple-double against every team in the league as his LA Lakers side beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-107.
James registered 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the win, for his 86th career triple-double.
“I r
Lakers Post-Game Videos: Caruso Responds To His Mural, Says That Rondo Is The QB Of Their Offense
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Cheq, a startup focused on preventing ad fraud and ensuring that ads run in brand-safe environments, has raised $16 million in Series B funding.
When the company raised its $5 million Series A last year, CEO Guy Tytunovich contrasted Cheq’s approach with what he called “first generation solutions for ad verification” — rather than identifying fraud and other issues after an ad has already run, he said Cheq is more proactive and can block ads from being served in real time.
I caught up with Tytunovich yesterday, and he told me that this approach remains one of Cheq’s strengths.
At the same time, he also acknowledged that “refunds, rebates and make goods” are allowing advertisers to achieve a kind of retroactive prevention. So he’s increasingly focused on Cheq’s accuracy.
T
Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers continue to roll with a 112-107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James earned his fifth triple-double of the season and made history in the process:
He and Anthony Davis combined for 59 points Tuesday at the Staples Center to help the Lakers earn their fifth straight win to move to an NBA-best 12-2 for the season.
Los Angeles appeared set for an easy victory until Oklahoma City used a 9-0 run to cut an 11-point deficit down to two in the final minute. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope then came through in the clutch to secure the victory.
The Thunder (5-9) remain winless in six road games this year despite 31 points from Dennis Schroder off the bench.
Notable Stats
LeBron and AD Getting Comfortable Together
Some were concerned with Davis’ health after he missed one game with a shoulder injury and totaled just 31 points in the next two games combined. There weren’t any complaints after this game, as the All-Star went off with 34 points on 13-of-24 from the field.
The most surprising part of his performance was the outside shooting, finishing 3-of-5 from beyond the arc after shooting 25 percent from deep entering Tuesday.
Meanwhile, James wasn’t exactly quiet with some huge dunks throughout the game:
It’s of course not news that these two are elite players, but the important part is how well they played together.
James and Davis looked good on the fast break and were unguardable at times:
Los Angeles Lakers @Lakers
The LeBron-AD fast-break is just as beautiful as you thought it’d be 👑
During his 17 years in the NBA, LeBron James has played with a lot of teammates — 167 so far, to be exact. The former No. 1 overall pick had played with six other top picks — Shaquille O’Neal, Joe Smith, Andrew Bogut, Greg Oden, Derrick Rose and Kyrie Irving — entering this season, and that group expanded to eight earlier this week when James played a regular season game with Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard for the first time.
But which players have been the best of James’ teammates? That’s the question we put to our expert panel, made up of seven of our writers and a former NBA player who spent multiple seasons playing alongside James. We asked them to focus on each player’s time alongside James, and to attempt to project where Davis will fall on that list. So you won’t see O’Neal or Rose — two players who won NBA MVP long before teaming up with LeBron — on this list. You also won’t seen names you might have forgotten like Edy Tavares (who played one game for the 2016-17 Cavaliers) or Eddy Curry (14 games for the 2011-12 Heat) or even Eddie House (56 games for the 2010-11 Heat).
What you will see are the players who, in the eyes of our panel, have made or will make the biggest on-court impact while playing alongside James.
Just missed the cut: Chris Andersen, Danny Green, Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, James Jones, Mike Miller.
Team
Miami Heat | 2010-14
Haslem ranks second behind only Dwyane Wade in games played in a Miami Heat uniform, and his willingness to take less money in 2010 helped bring James to Miami. Though he struggled because of injuries during the Heat’s four-year Finals run, he was an integral part of those teams, and — like James — is heading into his 17th season. The Heat lifer is Miami’s all-time leader in total rebounds, and averaged nearly six per game during his four seasons alongside James.
Team
Cleveland Cavaliers | 2003-04
Though he played only one NBA season alongside James, Boozer remains one of only two players to average at least 15 points and 10 rebounds (Kevin Love in 2016-17 is the other). After Boozer’s contentious departure from Cleveland, he went on to play in two All-Star Games and the 2008 Olympics, leaving fans to wonder what might have been if he’d stayed.
Team
Miami Heat | 2010-14
The frequent target of James’ ire during their time together, Chalmers was also the most consistent point guard during LeBron’s Heat years. He shot better than 38% from 3-point range, and his 242 games started are the most for any point guard who has ever played alongside LeBron (and sixth most overall).
Team
Cleveland Cavaliers | 2004-10, 2014-16
One of two players to play alongside LeBron during both of his Cleveland stints (Mo Williams is the o
(Adds smoke advisory issued for parts of Los Angeles, new investigation into utilities)
By Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES, Oct 28 (Reuters) – Wind-whipped flames chased thousands of residents from wealthy Los Angeles neighborhoods and threatened the city’s famed Getty Center museum on Monday, the latest outbreak in a wildfire season that has triggered mass evacuations and power outages across California.
The new conflagration broke out at around 1:30 a.m. PDT near the Getty Center on the west side of Los Angeles, hundreds of miles (km) from where crews were fighting the state’s biggest and most destructive fire, the Kincade, north of San Francisco.
“I know this moment generates a tremendous amount of anxiety,” California Governor Gavin Newsom told a news conference, speaking of the two major blazes burning at opposite ends of the state.
The governor said he was confident that firefighters had secured enough perimeters around the Kincade fire that it no longer posed an imminent threat to two communities north of Santa Rosa, although he conceded the fight was not over.
“I’m not naive about shifting winds and shifting conditions so we are putting all the assets we have onto this fire,” said Newsom, who declared a statewide emergency on Sunday.
As of midday the Kincade Fire, which erupted on Wednesday night, had blackened 66,000 acres (26,709 hectares) across parts of Sonoma County’s picturesque wine country, destroying 96 homes and other structures.
More than 4,100 firefighters working to put out the blaze had built containment lines around only 5% of t
While the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals were staging an epic World Series Game 7 in Houston, the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards were playing one of the most incredible NBA games in recent memory, packed with enough historic milestones to fill a record book.
In the end, James Harden‘s 59 points turned out to be just enough to lift the Rockets to a 159-158 victory on a night that few who witnessed the action will ever forget. Here are the stats, facts and figures you need to know.
It’s not often that you see a team score 158 points in regulation and lose. In fact, prior to Wednesday, it had happened exactly once in NBA history: Nov. 2, 1990, when the Paul Westhead-coached Denver Nuggets fell to the Run-TMC Golden State Warriors 162-158.
This was the third non-OT game in NBA history in which both teams scored at least 155 points. It was the third game in NBA history in which both teams made at least 20 3-pointers. The Rockets’ 159 points were the fourth-most in regulation in a road game in NBA history.
The two teams combined for 89 points in the fourth quarter, the most in a fourth quarter since the Pacers and Celtics put up 90 on April 11, 1994. The Wizards led by 12 with 7:53 left, and the Rockets proceeded to outscore them 38-25 down the stretch. Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for more points (27) than the entire Wizards team in that span.
Oh, and for the gamblers in the audience, the over/under for the game was 234. Washington and Houston cleared that by 84 points.
Although his missed free throw with 2.2 seconds remaining left him one point shy of 60 — and snapped a streak of 38 consecutive made free throws — Harden completed his 19th career 50-point game. Only Wilt Chamberlain (118), Michael Jorda
MISTAKES WERE MADE
At Tuesday’s National Transportation Safety Board’s hearing on the death of Elaine Herzberg, the woman struck and killed by Uber’s self-dri
First came the “OK Boomer” memes on social media. Then came the T-shirts, phone cases and other merchandise emblazoned with the viral retort. Now, get ready for an all-out war at the United States Patent and Trademark Office and a possible television series using the phrase.
On Nov. 11, Fox Media filed a trademark application for a TV show called “OK Boomer,” one among a handful of applicants hoping to secure rights to the phrase hurled by Generation Z and millennials to older people who don’t understand their positions on various issues and anyone issuing condescending remarks. (This month, Chloe Swarbrick, a 25-year-old New Zealand lawmaker, even used it in Parliament to respond to a heckler during a debate on a zero carbon bill.)
At least five current trademark applications are pending for the phrase, according to the federal office’s online database. Fox Media said in its application that it wanted to use it for an “ongoing television series featuring reality competition, comedy and game shows.” A spokeswoman for Fox Media, Alex Gillespie, said on Tuesday that the company had no comment about the filing. A spokeswoman for the federal patent office, Julianne Metzger, said on Tuesday that the office “does not comment on trademark applications.”
Separate applications filed on Oct. 31 (by a man named Kevin Yen) and Nov. 14 (by the jewelry company Rust Belt Creations) described intentions to use the phrase on clothing items. Another application, filed on Nov. 12 (also by Rust Belt Creations), mentioned plans to sell decals and stickers. And an application filed on Nov. 13 (by William Grundfest, a TV producer known for “Mad About You”) referred to plans to use “OK Boomer” for live stage performances and lectures.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Grundfest said he filed for the trademark
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
After Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic became the second-youngest player in NBA history to score 40 or more points while recording a triple-double, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James offered his endorsement:
The 20-year-old Doncic finished with 42 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in a 117-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, making him the second player in NBA history—along with James—to post such a line before the age of 21.
Earlier this month, Doncic called James his “idol,” and in just his second season, he is already following in LeBron’s footsteps.
Last season, Doncic averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game en route to being named Rookie of the Year. He has taken his game to another level this season with a
While cameras are rightfully the most prized tool in a photographer’s kit, for those who shoot in extreme conditions or fast-moving situations, their accessories can impact the outcome of the image just as much. G-Technology’s ArmorATD portable drive for photographer and skater Atiba Jefferson is one such accessory. The rugged storage device comes in one-, two-, four- and five-terabyte versions, with each iteration super-portable and slender. It’s also rain-, dust-, drop- and pressure-resistant (up to 1,000 pounds).
For Jefferson, an acclaimed photographer with a rich catalog spanning the sports and entertainment industries, the sense of trust that comes with the ArmorATD is unmatched. On shooting individuals from both worlds, he says, “The similarities are you never have a lot of time. The difference is athletes tend to not want to sit and model, [and] celebrities are used to it. The speed of ArmorATD is great so I can get things done fast. After the shoot I give one drive to the client and then I keep the other.”
In an exclusive video announcing the partnership, Jefferson explains that getting shots taken and onto an external drive proves far more desirable than uploading them onto a computer—which could crash or die. The ArmorATD also affords portability that a laptop usually doesn’t. “I only shoot to external hard drives as I trust ArmorATD more than the internal drive that comes with the computer,” Jefferson tells CH.
“I always archive, that’s why G-Tech is so important,” he says. “I always look back because photos are like wine… some age well, some don’t.” Jefferson also carries two ArmorATDs with him—one for his personal archive and another for friends and clients. It’s a more concise delivery method than transferring files from camera to computer to a cloud-based drive—plus, the ArmorATD offers transfer speeds of up to 140MB/s via either a USB-C to USB-C cable or a USB-C to USB-A adapter.
For Jefferson, the drive is an essential part of past and future projects. Inside of each drive is several years’ worth of stills of entertainment icons (from Michael Jordan and Drake to LeBron James and Tony Hawk) and skateboarding newcomers (Rowan Zorilla and Tyshawn Jones) alike.
“For me it’s doing a full-on book! That’s my next goal,” Jefferson finishes. It’s a safe bet to imagine its contents are on a handful of his drives.
The G-Technology ArmorATD portable drive starts at $70 and is available online now.
Images courtesy of Atiba Jefferson
For years, Hakeem Olajuwon tutored NBA stars in the art of the post-up, teaching his footwork and sorcery in the paint.
If he wanted to, Chris Bosh could coach up a different niche group: big men playing with LeBron James.
“Playing with LeBron was like buying a Ferrari,” Bosh said. “You know it’s the best in the world. It looks amazing when you see it. But you have no idea how powerful it is once you try to drive it. You can go right off the road.”
Bosh learned the hard way. He will walk into the Hall of Fame soon thanks to winning two titles with the Miami Heat and earning 11 All-Star selections, including four playing alongside James. But the only thing that allowed him to learn how to play with James was actually doing it.
For Kevin Love in Cleveland, playing with James meant figuring out not only where he was supposed to be on the court — Love got six fewer shots a game in his first season with James — but also how to avoid mass media and social media quagmires off of it.
When James first teamed up with Anthony Davis in Los Angeles, they sought to avoid those pitfalls by promising each other to try to stay on the same page. “What I’m seeing here is how much they spend time together away from the basketball court,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “And quite frankly, even in film sessions, in the locker room, it seems like the two of them are always together and just building that, that friendship. … I think LeBron’s just done everything in his power to make sure that he’s going out of his way to make sure Anthony’s comfortable with his new team.”
The two tried to keep expectations low for their early-season success because of the past issues James had merging with Bosh and Love. But James and Davis are playing fabulously together. Although you see them probing and developing their preferences, the union has exceeded even optimistic hopes for this early in the process.
“I didn’t think we were going to be able to connect this fast just because of the fact he had a lot of stuff going on this summer with ‘Space Jam [2],’ so we didn’t get a lot of time to work out together,” Davis said. “Then we hit a short training camp and had to go to China, and all that stuff, so I’m surprised that we’ve got a little connection right now.”
That’s what has surprised Bosh. James, Bosh and Dwyane Wade played with one another on Team USA for multiple sum
USA TODAY Sports Mark Medina explains why the Warriors are off to a slow start.
USA TODAY
As the 2019-20 NBA season moves toward its second week, new duos such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, resurgent teams and disappointing starts have made headlines.
USA TODAY NBA reporters Mark Medina and Jeff Zillgitt answered questions about the new season during a Reddit AMA on Wednesday.
Below is a condensed and edited Q&A:
Mark Medina: Unfortunately, you don’t hear much given where our press seats are. But my favorite moments always happen in Memphis where reporters still sit on press row. I enjoyed seeing Warriors coach Steve Kerr and former Lakers coach Luke Walton interact with the officials. They offered a good dose of friendliness, playful sarcasm, frustration and words unsuitable for print.
Jeff Zillgitt: I went Bucks-Clippers with Clippers winning the title. But as history has proven, I’m much better at telling you what and why it happened rather than telling you what will happen. Predictions are not my thing.
Medina: Eastern Conference champion: Sixers; Western Conference champion: Clippers; NBA champion: Clippers.
Zillgitt: The 2011 NBA lockout was pretty bizarre, waiting on New York City sidewalks or hotel lobbiesfor someone to give us a morsel of information that usually wasn’t very helpful. Though, (then-NBA commissioner) David Stern and (then-NBPA executive director) Billy Hunter provided great theater at times. Gregg Popovich was jogging on a city street when he stopped to talk to a bunch of reporters waiting outside a hotel. Two cameramen got into a fight in the street
When he suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week, LeBron James joined an exclusive club. Prior to this season, only 66 players had played at least 17 seasons in the NBA. Further, only seven have been All-Stars this deep into their NBA careers.
While we’ll have to wait until February to see if James will officially join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Karl Malone, Dirk Nowitzki and Shaquille O’Neal in that club, it’s a safe bet based on what he’s done in his previous 16 seasons. But which of those 16 seasons was his best? And, perhaps more importantly for the near future, was his most recent season — his first in a Lakers uniform — his worst?
That’s the question we posed to our expert panel, in addition to having them rank James’ best teammates. We had each of our panelist rank each of James’ previous 16 seasons, encompassing both the regular season and playoffs for each year, then compiled those rankings to determine when James was at his best, worst, and everything in between.
Record
35-47, missed playoffs
Stats
20.9 PPG | 5.5 RPG | 5.9 APG | 41.7% FG | 29.0% 3FG
What would’ve been a career year for most players from an individual standpoint was a near-unanimous pick by our panel as the worst of James’ career — and it was still good enough for him to win Rookie of the Year honors in 2004. At the time, James was just the third rookie in NBA history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game. The two to do it before him? Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan.
Record
37-45, missed playoffs
Stats
27.4 PPG | 8.5 RPG | 8.3 APG | 51.0% FG | 33.9% 3FG
James’ season changed on Christmas Day, when he suffered a strained groin that would keep him out for weeks and eventually lead to an early end to his first year in Los Angeles. He played a career-low 55 games, but still managed to do enough in those games to earn a 15th consecutive All-NBA nod. Only Abdul-Jabbar, Bryant and Duncan have made 15 All-NBA teams, and no player has made 16, something James can shoot for in 2019-20.
Record
42-40, missed playoffs
Stats
27.2 PPG | 7.4 RPG | 7.2 APG | 47.2% FG | 35.1% 3FG
James improved across the board in his second season, leading the league in minutes per game and finishing behind only Allen Iverson and Bryant in points per game. However, it wasn’t enough to lead the Cavaliers to the playoffs. Head coach Paul Silas was fired with 18 games left in the season, with the Cavs fifth in the East at the time. However, they skidded to an 8-10 finish, despite James upping his scoring to 30.3 points per game in that stretch.
Record
50-32, lost in Eastern Conference semifinals
Stats
31.4 PPG | 7.0 RPG | 6.6 APG | 48.0% FG | 33.5% 3FG
Averaging a career-high 31.4 PPG, James led the Cavaliers to the postseason for the first time and finished second in MVP voting behind Steve Nash. It was the first of 13 consecutive seasons in which he finished in the top five of MVP voting, a streak that only came to an end last year. James also earned All-Star Game MVP honors for the first time in his career. In the playoffs, James was electric in leading Cleveland to a 4-2 series win over Washington in the first round, posting a triple-double in his postseason debut and averaging 35.7 points per game in that series. The Cavs took a 3-2 lead over the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the second round before eventually falling in seven games, one of just two times (in eight tries) that James has lost a Game 7.
Record
45-37, lost in Eastern Conference semifinals
Stats
30.0 PPG | 7.9 RPG | 7.2 APG | 48.4% FG | 31.5% 3FG
That other Game 7 loss? It brought this season to an end when James and the Cavs fell to the eventual champion Boston Celtics, despite James’ 45-point effort in Boston. It was a bitter end to a season that saw James lead the league in scoring for the first and only time in his career and saw the Cavs overcome a midseason roster shakeup to return to the postseason a year after coming up short in the NBA Finals. This was also the season in which James became the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer, passing Brad Daugherty despite having played 100 fewer career games.
Record
50-32, lost in NBA Finals
Stats
27.3 PPG | 6.7 RPG | 6.0 APG | 47.6% FG | 31.9% 3FG
During the regular season, James’ numbers dipped across the board, though he still led the Cavs to their second consecutive 50-win season. However, by the time the postseason rolled around, he was once again locked in. He led Cleveland to the conference finals for the first time since 1992, and there against the Pistons, he produced one of the most iconic games of his career. With the series tied 2-2, James put up 48 points in Game 5, including 29 of the Cavaliers’ final 30 points and their final 25 consecutively. The double-OT win helped propel Cleveland to its first NBA Finals appearance, where the Cavs were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
Record
53-29, lost in NBA Finals
Stats
25.3 PPG | 6.0 RPG | 7.4 APG | 48.8% FG | 35.4% 3FG
James’ first season back in Cleveland after his four-year run in Miami resulted in the Cavaliers’ first trip to the Finals sinc
DALLAS — Mavericks star Luka Doncic needed three stitches to repair a laceration on his head suffered in a collision late in a 119-110 overtime loss to the Lakers on Friday night, but the team’s medical staff determined he did not have a concussion.
The laceration occurred when Doncic and Lakers center Dwight Howard collided while chasing a loose ball that was rebounded by Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith with 1 minute, 49 seconds remaining in regulation.
Doncic received treatment on the laceration from Casey Smith, the Mavs’ director of player health and performance, and iced his head during each of the three timeouts in the remainder of regulation. Doncic played the rest of the game with the exception of the final 6.4 seconds of regulation, when he was substituted out because of a defensive strategy.
“I felt a little bit weird a few minutes after the hit, but then it was OK,” said Doncic, who finished with 31 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists in a thrilling duel with childhood idol LeBron James. “There was nothing to worry about. … It was a little headache. I had a little headache for a few minutes, but then it was over. I put some ice on it, and it was better.”
Doncic said he was twice evaluated for a concussion — once on the bench and again after the game.
The NBA’s concussion policy states that a player suspected of havi
Wednesday wisdom … Today’s newsletter is just what you need to get over that midweek hump. Know a friend who needs an extra push to get through Wednesday? Why not send them this newsletter? You can do so right here.
Liftoff for the Rockets? … The Houston Rockets face the L.A. Clippers tonight — on ESPN! Pretty exciting! — and all the on-court questions surrounding Houston are about how James Harden and Russell Westbrook can coexist in their second go-round. So far, it’s going pretty well — Houston is 7-3 and Harden is averaging more than 37 points per game — but can it hold up over the course of a full season? In today’s ESPN Daily podcast, Mina Kimes talks to Kirk Goldsberry about how the Rockets’ Westbrook experiment is going … and what needs to happen for the team to bring home that elusive championship. You can listen to it right here.
The most legendary trash talk ever … As the great Terry Tate once said, football is about mind games. What better way to let your opponents know they’ve got no chance of winning than with a little bit of trash talk? We’ve taken the best bits of sassing, dissing and all-around disrespect the NFL has to offer and put them into a quiz. Can you identify who said what? Take our quiz now!
A return for Kaepernick? Colin Kaepernick’s three-year absence from the NFL might finally be coming to an end. NFL clubs
LeBron James, NBA superstar and GOAT contender, was left hanging on the bench Sunday night when the Lakers faced off against the Atlanta Hawks.
James didn’t seem bothered, but there’s surprisingly a lot happening in this little three-second clip.
First, the obvious: LeBron reaches out to teammate Dwight Howard for a standard high five. Howard, who is 6’10” and quite used to blocking shots, rejects LeBron in an entirely differen
Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
James Harden’s brick fest to begin the season raised a modicum of concern throughout the NBA, but any worries have been completely silenced in the past seven games. The two-time scoring champ has poured in 43 points per game since Nov. 4, scoring the most points through 13 contests since Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. Houston’s superstar is firing on all cylinders entering Monday night. He’s burying 30-foot step-backs on a quarterly basis, and his floater improves by the season. Harden has seen every coverage–no gimmick fools him. He is the league’s most unguardable force, critics be damned. Harden’s scoring tear has vaulted the Rockets to 10–3. The No. 1 seed is within reach. A second MVP could be in his near future.
With just over 10 games now in the books, let’s dive into this week’s power rankings with notes on all 30 teams.
30. Warriors – Point Draymond has been instituted in Golden State due to a slate of injuries, but the experiment should go fairly smoothly. Green is an elite outlet passer, and his decision-making rolling downhill as a screener has always been superb. Those attributes will hold up even in an adjusted role.
29. Knicks – The state of the franchise remains, well, as low as can be, but Madison Square Garden was downright electric for Kristaps Porzingis’ return on Nov. 14. Imagine if the Knicks could produce a merely respectable roster rather than The Ghosts of Power Forwards Past? David Fizdale’s eventual scapegoating remains shameful.
28. Pelicans – Jaxson Hayes only plays 15 minutes per night, but the outline of a starting center are there. The Texas product is perhaps the best leaper in his class. He’s a mobile pick-and-roll defender. It’s questionable whether he can play next to Zion Williamson, though New Orleans should feel optimistic about their selection at No. 8.
27. Wizards – Rui Hachimura has shown significant promise as a rookie. He’s going to have to generate more chances at the free-throw line to become a true offensive force. Of the 130 players to attempt 100 shots this season, Hachimura ranks 128th in free throw rate, sandwiched between three-point specialists Buddy Hield and Doug McDermott. The Gonzaga product would be well served burrowing an extra step toward the tin on drives from the perimeter.
26. Pistons – Andre Drummond’s counting stats are impressive, yet it may be more valued if Detroit, well, stopped anyone. The Pistons rank No. 27 in defensive rating, and only three teams allow more shots at the rim per game. Drummond’s rebounding numbers mask his rotational shortcomings.
25. Cavs – John Beilein should be commended for his job thus far with the lottery-bound Cavs. The Cavs’ defense has jumped from last to No. 15, and Cleveland is allowing the least free throws, seventh-least threes and fifth-least offensive rebounds in basketball. That’s certainly a formula to remaining respectable.
24. Kings – De’Aaron Fox’s injury timeline is murky, so the more Buddy Hield long-balls the better until Sacramento’s point guard returns. Hield has dipped below 40% from three this year, but the volume is more important than the efficiency. Sunday’s 35-point explosion against Boston is certainly an encouraging step.
23. Bulls – Lauri Markkanen’s struggles to start the season should be of concern to Chicago fans. He’s shooting just 28.2% from three, and more importantly, he’s been less aggressive on the glass and near the tin than in 2018-19. Markkanen’s smooth stroke makes him consistently appealing as a stretch five. But some bully ball is in order for the Finnish big.
22. Grizzlies – Ja Morant likely has the deepest collection of finishes at the tin, and he’s just 20. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like this finish against Utah. The heir to Mike Conley is off to a roaring start.
21. Hawks – Trae Young is embracing his ball-dominance to a striking degree in year two, seizing the reigns with a 34.5% usage rate in his second year. No player holds the ball longer per touch (6.39 seconds per NBA.com) and his 6.04 dribbles per touch trails only DJ Augustin among qualified players. Atlanta is deep at the wing and severely lacking behind Young at point guard. Expect the early-season trend to hold up
20. Hornets – Devonte’ Graham or James Harden? Check out the two clips below, featuring a running start and a very high screen for the two guards.
LOS ANGELES — As much as the on-court product this season has been can’t-miss fodder for Los Angeles Lakers fans hungry for a winner, it was a courtside fan rooting on the Lakers’ 122-101 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday who stole the show.
The fan just so happened to be Kobe Bryant.
“That’s one of the greatest players to ever play this game, taking time out of his day on a Sunday,” said LeBron James, who put up 33 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds. “So I’m just trying to put on a show for him and give him a reason, like, ‘OK, we might come to another game.'”
Bryant, in the building to promote “Epoca: The Tree of Ecrof,” the children’s fantasy novel he created with author Ivy Claire, played the dual role of proud Laker alumnus and proud papa, as he attended the game with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Maria “Gigi” Bryant.
“He’s got one of the greatest female players that’s about to come up sitting next to him in Gigi,” James added.
Hawks star Trae Young was delighted to hear that though Kobe was there for the Lakers, Gigi was there for him.
“It was crazy because he told me his daughter is a huge fan of mine, and I’m one of her favorite players,” Young said. “It’s kind of crazy because I’ll be watching her highlights, too. They pop up on my timeline.”
There was a time when the idea of Bryant in Staples Center in 2019, embracing Dwight Howard back wearing the purple and gold, would have been unheard of. But Howard was one of the first Lakers to greet the future Hall of Famer.
“Were there ever any hard feelings? It doesn’t matter,” said Howard, who has taken to wearing Bryant’s signature Nike sneakers this season because he likes how they feel. “That’s the past. This is a new age, a new day. We’re all about positive vibes.”
0:15
Kobe Bryant receives chants and an ovation from Lakers fans as he exits Staples Center near the end of the fourth quarter.
Even though it ended up being a warm encounter, Howard was surprised by Bryant’s presence at first.
“I didn’t even know who he was. Slapped me on the back of the neck
Tom Brady is already the oldest quarterback in the NFL, but according to his longtime trainer and business partner Alex Guerrero, the Patriots legend has no plans to hang up his cleats anytime soon.
Brady, 42, has said in the past that his goal is to keep playing until he’s 45, but while speaking with WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Thursday, Guerrero teased that Brady has already set his sights further into the future.
“I certainly do believe that 45 is a very realistic goal. We talk about it all the time,” Guerrero told the show. “Every year, he just adds another year because he goes in and says, ‘I just feel so good still. I think I’m going to go to 45.’ And I’m like, ‘OK.’ And now he’s like, ‘Alex, I think I can
Adam Pantozzi/Getty Images
LeBron James is always a productive player, but the Los Angeles Lakers superstar has recently played at an especially ridiculous level.
During a 122-101 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, LeBron amassed 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting with a 6-of-10 three-point clip.
And he did so with a legend watching closely.
Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria sat courtside for the contest.
“That’s one of the greatest players to ever play this game, taking time out of his day on a Sunday,” LeBron said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “So I’m just trying to put on a show for him and give him a reason, like, ‘OK, we might come to another game.'”
According to McMenamin, Kobe was in attendance to promote a children’s book he created with author Ivy Claire.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel enjoyed having Bryant in the crowd, too:
But as noteworthy as Bryant’s appearance at Staples Center was, LeBron still managed to steal the show.
In addition to his game-high 33 points, LeBron dished 12 assists and committed zero turnovers. According to Basketball-Reference, it marked only the 20th time in NBA history someone recorded a 30/12/0 line. LeBron is the only player to accomplish it twice.
James’ efficiency had Vogel in awe.
“Zero turnovers. 12 assists. I mean, are you kidding me?” the first-year coach said, per Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times.
Adam Pantozzi/Getty Images
While they were once rivals on the court and have fervent fanbases that often argue the merits of their respective greatnesses against one another, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant share a mutual respect that was on display Sunday during and after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 122-101 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Bryant attended the game with his daughter, Gigi, and James spoke glowingly of the pair after a 33-point, 12-assist, seven-rebound outing.
“That’s one of the greatest players to ever play this game, taking time out of his day on a Sunday,” James told reporters. “So I’m just trying to put on a show for him and give him a reason, like, ‘OK, we might come to another game.'”
Ben Golliver @BenGolliver
Lakers’ LeBron James on Kobe Bryant: “I grew up watching him, admiring him. I was one of the kids who came from high school. He did it. It’s so surreal for me as a kid from Akron to have a guy like Kobe take time out of his day. Even at this point of my career it’s still special
Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal has defended Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who sparked controversy earlier this month when he tweeted in support of protestors in Hong Kong.
O’Neal, a 19-year veteran of the NBA, is now an analyst for TNT. He spoke in support of Morey during a pregame show ahead of the NBA’s Opening Night on Tuesday.
“One of our best values here in America is free speech. We’re allowed to say what we want to say and we are allowed to speak up about injustices and that’s just how it goes,” O’Neal said. “Daryl Morey was right. Whenever you see something wrong going on anywhere in the world, you should have the right to say, ‘That’s not right’ and that’s what he did.”
While Morey’s tweet, which included an image that said “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong,” was quickly deleted, the Chinese government interpreted it as a challenge to its sovereignty over Hong Kong. The controversy has put the NBA’s business in China at risk, with Chinese stations halting broadcasts of pre-season NBA games and many Chinese companies cutting ties with the Houston Rockets.
Colorado Avalanche star forward Nathan MacKinnon was left wondering what officials would do if NBA superstar LeBron James was left bleeding during a game after a controversial incident helped lead to a Vancouver Canucks goal on Saturday night.
MacKinnon’s teammate, Matt Calvert, was left bloodied on the ice late in the third period after blocking a shot by Canucks forward Elias Pettersson. The Canucks were down 4-2 at the time and were looking to bring the game closer with an extra attacker.
Calvert was sprawled out on the ice as the pla
Let us take stock of these Vancouver Canucks.
After 21 games, they sit third in the Pacific Division.
Fourth-place Calgary actually have played one more game than the local heroes at present, so the Canucks are, truly, full value for their position.
They’ve scored 10 more goals than they’ve conceded.
Their power play remains one of the league’s better outfits. The penalty killing was never going to stay quite as dominant as they were when they burst out of the gates, but they’re still in the top 10.
The goaltending has been a bit of a mixed bag, but if you were told in the summer that the Canucks would be playing entertaining hockey and getting enough results to put themselves into a 50/50 position for a playoff push, you’d be pretty impressed.
As it stands, this is a team that does look like it can score its way out of problems. Saturday’s tilt with the Colorado Avalanche may have finished up as an overtime loss, but once again the Canucks’ offence pulled off some heroics.
Goals give you chances.
“That game tonight, it’s going to help us,” Sven Baertschi said of his club, who now head out on a six-game road trip, the longest of the season, one that features plenty of tough opposition and, if it goes disastrously right or disastrously wrong, could prove to be season defining.
“Coming back against them tonight and our big guys, I thought they really stepped up and that’s going to give you some confidence,” Baertschi added. “Getting that point tonight, it was important for us, you know. We’d probably go on the road right now with a little bit of a different feeling if we would’ve lost in regulation tonight, but I thought the effort was good at the end.”
It’s a big road trip. The Canucks have just one win in their last seven games.
Still, if they can play .500 hockey between now and Christmas, they’ll be setting themselves up well for the second half.
Marc-Andre Fleury and the Golden Knights aren’t currently in a playoff spot.
The West is getting so tight.
The Jets, who we’ve all been saying are in trouble because of the turnover on defence coupled with the loss of Dustin Byfuglien, are still sitting third in the Central.
The Stars and Flames are in the two wild-card spots, with the likes of Anaheim, Nashville, San Jose and Vegas nipping at their heels.
Heck, even Chicago, who looked very good in overcoming a solid road performance by the Canucks 10 days ago, are in the mix.
The West is going to be a street fight, complete with chains, tridents, homemade street batons and worse.
According to Micah Blake McCurdy’s projection system at HockeyViz.com, the Canucks came into Saturday with a 44 per cent chance of making the playoffs.
Before the season, the chances were roughly one in five. Just a couple weeks ago, they were above 60 per cent.
Life moves fast.
Vancouver Canucks #43 Quinn Hughes looks for the puck behind Colorado Avalanche #11 Matt Calvert at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, November 16 2019.
Gerry Kahrmann /
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LISTEN: The latest edition of the White Towel podcast is super-sized: Host Paul Chapman is joined by Canucks beat writers Patrick Johnston and Ben Kuzma plus columnist Ed Willes. The quartet take a look at Quinn Hughes’ ongoing growth as an NHL defencema
Matt Slocum/Associated Press
Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love is a veteran star on a rebuilding team. That makes him a prime trade candidate this season, a possibility Love acknowledged during an interview with Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times:
“I know there’s talk about me possibly being the missing piece somewhere. There’s been constant chatter since I signed that I could be traded. It’s one of those things where I’m going to keep doing right by the team, by Cleveland and by the organization. If my number is called, so be it, but I’m going to stay true to my commitment and let the chips fall where they may.”
Love, 31, is having a solid season for the Cavaliers, averaging 18.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three. For contending teams seeking a solid rebounder and perimeter shooter, he is an appealing option.
Less appealing, however, is his cap hit over the next four years:
Those numbers aren’t prohibitive, though they also aren’t ideal for a player like Love wh
Following a zesty yellow collaborative LeBron 16 earlier this year, esteemed Harlem’s Fashion Row has once again linked up with Nike for yet another silhouette from the basketball player’s line, this time opting for the LeBron 17.
Giving the iconic model a premium makeover, HFR’s take dresses the upper with a beige
Following up on its recent collaboration with Nike, LeBron James and Maverick Carter‘s UNINTERRUPTED brand is releasing a special sweatsuit in collaboration with LA-based garment studio and basketball-lifestyle label, Bristol Studio.
The cozy two-piece grey set is fully reversible and can be paired together or mix-and-matched with more elevated items such as a blazer. Additionally each piece has been emblazoned with UNINTERRUPTED and Bristol Studio co-branding in blue and white, which can be seen running up the left portion of th
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Getty Images
As several wildfires rage across California, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is under threat from a new blaze near Los Angeles.
The region is under a rare “extreme red-flag warning” from weather officials as gusts approach hurricane-level speeds, over 74mph (119km/h).
There is concern that the winds will also fan the nearby Getty Fire, which has scorched 745 acres.
Wildfires across California have led to mass evacuations and power cuts.
The latest fire broke out near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, about 40 miles north-west of Los Angeles. The blaze, dubbed the Easy Fire, has burned 1,300 acres so far.
Some library staff, including the executive director, are still on the property, which is now surrounded by the fire, local media report.
Hundreds of firefighters are on the scene, and they have asked staff to shelter in place.
The extreme weather alert covers Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties.
Winds are expected to pick up early on Wednesday and continue into Thursday, with forecasters warning that they could hit their highest speeds of the season.
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EPA
“This Santa Ana wind event will likely be the strongest we have seen so far this season,” the weather service said.
“These strong winds… will likely bring very critical fire weather conditions, making this an extreme red-flag warning event.”
At least 12 homes have been destroyed so far and five others damaged in the Getty Fire – named for the art collection close by. About 27% of the fire has been contained.
Some 1,100 firefighters are tackling the Getty fire and thousands of structures are at risk, authorities say.
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Reuters
Disney+ has ordered 10 episodes of Becoming, a docuseries which focuses on the upbringing of world-class entertainers, musicians and athletes, from LeBron James and his Springhill Entertainment, ESPN Films, Spoke Studios and ITV America.
Becoming, originally created for Disney XD by ESPN Films, was spawned from the Becoming pilot that aired in 2014 and told the story of James
Halloween’s a lot like all the other holidays in one major way … celebrities seem to have more fun doing it.
Huge stars like Drake, Kylie Jenner, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Megan Thee Stallion, Jordyn Woods, Sofia Richie, Kyle Kuzma and a bunch more went all out with their costume selections … which range from hot Disney princesses to Edward Scissorhands.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Halloween if some famous folks didn’t dress up as other famous folks, which is why Hart went as his pal, The Rock (in his infamous ’90s fanny pack look), Kuzma rocked a Blueface costume … and Drake got done up like his dad.
Click through the gallery … ’cause you gotta see Chris Hemsworth and his wife, Elsa Pataky‘s commitment to creepy.
Happy Halloween!!!
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For basketball fans longing for the LeBron James-and-Dwyane-Wade era of the Miami Heat, ESPN is broadca
The Los Angeles Lakers enter November with a 3-1 record. After a humbling season-opening “road” loss against the LA Clippers, the Lakers bounced back with decisive home wins against the Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies.
As Los Angeles takes its show on the road for a Friday night matchup against the Dallas Mavericks (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), it appears that Anthony Davis and LeBron James have the team on the right track. So what is real (or not) with the Lakers?
The Lakers’ defense will continue to resemble rejection row
Blocking 15.1% of opponent 2-point attempts, the league’s best rate
Dave McMenamin: Real. The swats that got the most attention might have been James’ chase-down blocks on Landry Shamet and Solomon Hill, but the Lakers’ defensive schemes are slightly more responsible than just relying on one of the best athletes in the sport’s history. L.A. has three proven shot-blockers in Davis, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard to rotate in the middle, and coach Frank Vogel has instructed them not to switch, which keeps those bigs protecting the rim and the guards up pressuring. “The league’s modern-day offenses are designed to invert your defense to get switches and 7-footers guarding point guards and point guards guarding bigs down low,” Vogel said. “We want to resist that temptation.”
The primary Lakers starting lineup will continue to get heavy minutes
Avery Bradley–Danny Green-James-Davis-McGee outscored by 8.2 points per 100 possessions
Ohm Youngmisuk: Not real. This probably will change as Kyle Kuzma nears his season debut. With Kuzma’s imminent return coupled with Rajon Rondo’s eventual health, the starting lineup Vogel has used also could be in flux on certain nights. But Vogel has already hinted at tinkering with different lineups and the potential to move a resurgent Howard into the starting five. Starting Kuzma would also all
Amid the ongoing debate about resting players in the NBA, count Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban among those openly willing to support load management, calling it “the best thing to ever happen to the league.”
“The problem isn’t load management, per se,” Cuban told reporters in Boston on Monday. “I think teams have to be smarter about when to load manage. I’m all for load management. Worse than missing a player in a [regular-season] game is missing him in the playoffs.”
The load management topic has received the most scrutiny this season in the LA Clippers‘ handling of Kawhi Leonard. The reigning NBA Finals MVP has been held out of two nationally televised games that were part of back-to-backs, though the NBA also revealed a patella tendon injury for Leonard in announcing that it had approved his absence from those contests.
Cuban, whose Maverick
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger were among the thousands ordered to evacuate their homes Monday morning.
Just before 4 a.m., James tweeted that he and his family were driving around, looking for accommodations after being displaced by the Getty Fire.
Man these LA 🔥 aren’t no joke. Had to emergency evacuate my house and I’ve been driving around with my family trying to get rooms. No luck so far! 🤦🏾♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2019
As of 8 a.m., over 10,000 structures were under mandatory evacuation orders.
Exclusive Details
LeBron James and his wife, Savannah, went ALL-OUT for their Halloween costumes — bringing in some of the top hair, makeup and fashion people in the country … and the results are AWESOME!
Check out Edward Scissorhands and Medusa … and no, these ain’t your typical Halloween store purchases.
Savannah’s dress was custom-made by former “Project Runway” star Michael Costello — one of the top designers in the country. In other words, dude doesn’t come cheap!
The makeup — which was done by Alex Faction, a YouTube superstar who specializes in recreating famous Hollywood movie characters like The Joker and Freddy Krueger.
The props — from Savannah’s headpiece to Bron’s scissor hands — were made by Ellimacs SFX.
The couple LOVED the final product — with LeBron posting, “Happy Halloween folks from LeDward Scissorhands ⚔️ & Sadu
LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis earned six All-Star selections with the New Orleans Pelicans by playing power forward, but he earned his first win with the Los Angeles Lakers by playing center.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel moved Davis from the 4 to the 5 at halftime on Friday night, sparking a 95-86 win over the Utah Jazz. Davis finished with a hearty line of 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks and 2 steals, and he left his imprint on both ends of the floor with the help of the lineup adjustment.
“Anthony and I talked about it, and he was all for it and wanted to do it,” Vogel said.
“If it makes sense, then obviously I don’t mind doing it. And it made sense tonight,” added Davis, who had declared his preference for playing the 4 at his introductory news conference in July.
L.A. shot just 34.8% in the first half with Davis playing alongside JaVale McGee in the middle, which fed into Jazz center Rudy Gobert‘s hands.
“Rudy is a problem for any offense going against their defense,” Vogel said. “If you have another center out there where he is rolling to the basket, [Gobert] can kind of play center field and clog things up.”
With Davis shifting to the 5, Vogel also inserted Alex Caruso with the first group at the 1, giving L.A. a smaller lineup with another playmaker on the flo
With the spotlight shining as brightly as ever on LeBron James this NBA season, he’s looking to lead his Los Angeles Lakers to an Oscar-worthy championship finish — and his Nike LeBron 17 is ready for the journey with a new “Red Carpet” colorway. A successor to the Nike LeBron 7 “Red Carpet” in both name and inspiration, LeBron’s 17th signature shoe has quite literally gone Hollywood, thanks to its premiere-ready tonal palette.
Although the sobriquet and motive behind this LeBron 17 may be the same
Stay in the know: Today’s newsletter covers everything from the trade deadline to robot umpires. If you know a friend who wants to keep up to date on the latest NFL moves OR is terrified of the upcoming robot uprising (or both!), why not send them this newsletter? You can do so right here.
Calling all robo-umps … The World Series is back in Houston for Game 6 tonight, but fans are still talking about Game 5 — specifically a blown call that robbed the Nationals of a potential game-tying opportunity. In today’s episode of the ESPN Daily podcast, MLB insider Jeff Passan joins host Mina Kimes to make the case for an electronic umpire system, and what the dawn of the “robo-ump” could mean for the future of baseball. You can listen to the full episode right here.
Week 1’s hottest kicks … The NBA is back, and with it the return of some of the best sneakers you’ll ever see. From Jayson Tatum’s green Air Jordans to Kelly Oubre’s reference to the famous “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” painting of Mount Fuji (to go along with his “Wave Papi” nickname), we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to footwear. Which one was your favorite? Cast your vote now! Read more
A case for robot umps? The whole robot thing has us feeling conflicted — in part because of the apprehension of becoming obsolete, and in part because of the very real fear of robots rebelling and destroying us all. For MLB, however, it looks like the reality of robot umpires might be approaching faster than anyone could have dreamed. Just look at one blown strike call in Game 5 of the World Series, Jeff Passan writes, and yo
LeBron James doesn’t plan on leaving the NBA any time soon.
With Carmelo Anthony returning to the league at age 35 after signing with the Portland Trail Blazers, James was asked if he had made any plans regarding how he’d like to end his career.
“Not really. Not the way I feel right now,” LeBron said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Me and Tom Brady are one in the same. We’re going to play until we can’t walk no more.”
—Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 15, 2019
It’s not the first time James has expressed a good amount of faith in his longevity. For years, James has insisted that hi
Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images
Basketball fans who miss the LeBron James-Dwyane Wade pairing will get many looks at what the next generation of that collaboration looks like.
Per Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times, Sierra Canyon High School, featuring Bronny James and Zaire Wade, will have 15 basketball games air on the ESPN family of networks this season.
Sierra Canyon is regarded as one of the nation’s best men’s high school basketball teams in the country, and expectations are high heading into the 2019-20 season.
Last year’s squad finished with a 32-3 overall record and will open this year ranked No. 12 in the nation by USA Today.
The school’s profile was raised exponentially in May when Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times reported James’ sons, Bronny and Bryce, would be enrolling for the 2019-20 academic year.
Bronny will be eligible to attend college in 2023-24, with 247Sports‘ crystal ball predic
LeBron James is currently holding the Los Angeles Lakers record for most consecutive triple-doubles, following the team’s win against the Chicago Bulls.
The NBA superstar finished with 30 points (on 10-for-19 shooting), 10 rebounds and 11 assists, officially giving him his third consecutive game with a triple-double. On top of being James’ personal best, he’s the first Laker in 32 years to achieve three straight triple-doubles —
The NCAA Board of Governors broke with the long-held tradition of forbidding student-athletes from earning income on Tuesday by voting unanimously to allow them to profit from their names, images and likenesses.
Add NCAA as an interest to stay up to date on the latest NCAA news, video, and analysis from ABC News.
The board, which framed the historic vote as part of its continuing effort to “support college athletes,” also said it would direct each of the NCAA’s three divisions to “immediately consider updates to relevant bylaws and policies for the 21st Century,” Michael Drake, chairman of the board and president of Ohio State University, said in a statement.
“We embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes,” Drake added. “Additional flexibility in this area can and must continue to support college sports as part of higher education.”
Tony Ding/AP, FILE
The board’s vote came after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in September a measure allowing college athletes in his state to profit from their names, images and likenesses.
Illinois lawmakers also were considering similar legislation.
“This modernization for the future is a natural extension of the numerous steps NCAA members have taken in recent years to improve support for student-athletes, including the full cost of attendance and guaranteed scholarships,” Drake said.
Colleges reap billions from student athletes but block them from earning a single dollar. Tha
Imagine if Lebron James decided to leave whatever team he’s on this month to play for an entirely different league. That is essentially what is happening in women’s soccer—or as I like to call it, “soccer”—right now.
Sam Kerr—Australian national, attacker for the Chicago Red Stars, lead goal scorer and MVP for the 2019 NWSL season—announced earlier this month that she would be leaving the Red Stars to explore options in Europe. The three-time Golden Boot winner has now signed a two-an-a-half year contract with Chelsea FC, marking a huge step forward for the women’s English Premier League.
The loss of the 26-year-old phenom to the Brits is a huge blow to the U.S soccer program on several levels. The Chicago Red Stars finished second overall in NWSL standings this season (there are nine teams total) in large part thanks to Kerr, who scored 19 goals this season. While the Red Stars still have big-name players, like Alyssa Naher and Julie Ertz, Sam Kerr’s exit could signal the beginning of a significant exodus of younger talent.
While it can be argued that Chelsea FC is not as prestigious a team as Chicag—Chelsea did not qualify for its season’s Champions League while the Red Stars played in the final game of the NWSL Championships—the real draw for any footballer to go abroad is money. Kerr’s new contract with Chelsea is “reportedly worth $600,000 a season.” The NWSL and U.S Soccer Federation are notorious for underpaying their players in comparison to players who operate under the MLS (men’s soccer) or players in European leagues. This is why U.S Soc
James Harden was called a “master of the game” after his 47-point haul helped the Houston Rockets beat the Los Angeles Clippers.
Former NBA Most Valuable Player Harden also added six rebounds and seven assists in the 102-93 win.
The Rockets were
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Here’s LeBron James going out of his way to show love to NFL star Kyler Murray at the Lakers game on Tuesday … it’s a cool moment.
But, there’s another issue with this clip … did LeBron ignore L.A. Dodgers star Cody Bellinger, who was sitting right next to the QB?!
SAY IT AIN’T SO BRON!!!
Getty
Here’s the deal … King James went over to the expensive seats at Talking Stick Resort Arena with about 25 seconds left in the 4th quarter to dap up Murray, the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
FYI, Murray and LeBron have been friends for a while — in fact, Kyler has a deal with Bron’s Uninterrupted media company … and rocked the logo inside of his suit jacket on Draft night.
uninterrupted
But, during the broadcast, we DIDN’T see LeBron show love to Cody … who was sitting right next to Kyler!!!
Look, doesn’t mean Bron didn’t chop it up with Cody before or after the game (or maybe LBJ just didn’t recognize Cody in a backward hat).
Bron definitely SHOULD know Bellinger … he shouted out the MLB star for wearing his Lakers jersey for a Taco Tuesday-themed Halloween costume this year!
LeBron James appreciated Cody Bellinger & Joe Kelly’s tandem LBJ/Taco Tuesday costumes on the Dodgers’ road trip today. (via James’ IG) pic.twitter.com/cPn1GioFtf
— Adrian Garro (@adriangarro) September 27, 2019
@adriangarro
But hey, at least Cody’s killin’ it off the diamond … he and his smokin’ GF, Sabrina, seem to be happily in love.
Congrats on that!!
LeBron James on Saturday voiced support for Ohio State defensive star Chase Young, who was suspended by the university and later said it was because he borrowed money from a family friend.
Add NCAA as an interest to stay up to date on the latest NCAA news, video, and analysis from ABC News.
Young said Friday on Twitter that he would not be playing this week “because of an NCAA eligibility issue.”
The junior defensive end called his decision to accept the loan “a mistake” and said he repaid it in full last summer.
Sources told ESPN that money from Young’s loan was used to help fly his girlfriend to attend the Rose Bowl.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo
James, a former Cleveland Cavalier and Ohio native, defended Young and criticized the National Collegiate Athletic Association in a series of tweets.
“The fact Chase Young even had to borrow money from a family member just so his girlfriend could come see him play in one of the biggest games of his life (Rose Bowl) should tell you all you need to know,” James wrote in a tweet. “And since y’all always wanna know more he paid it back to his family member.”
In another post, James
With Kyle Lowry out for the next two weeks and Serge Ibaka out indefinitely, the Toronto Raptors were shorthanded coming into Sunday night’s game against the Lakers. On top of that, LA entered the contest on a seven-game winning streak behind Anthony Davis and LeBron James after dropping their opening night game against the Kawhi-led Los Angeles Clippers. The stage was set for a disaster for Toronto.
Before the game, coach Nick Nurse had some choice words when discussing the injuries and the bench as reported by Josh Lewenberg:
Nurse: “We all didn’t think we were very deep at all a couple weeks ago. I’ve been saying we got 8 guys I really like and 3 guys are missing. So I’m gonna have to start liking a few more guys here pretty quickly. This is their chance.”
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) November 11, 2019
Boy, Nurse might be liking a few more guys on his squad after this game.
The Raptors started out hesitant and looked out of sorts, falling behind early. Of course, this made sense given the new starting lineup and absence of Lowry. Yet, the Lakers looked timid at times too, with LeBron seemingly looking for assists over points. Despite the slow start with some turnovers, the Raptors somehow only trailed by a point after the first quarter courtesy of folk hero, Matt Thomas, who finished the quarter with a very timely five points.
At the end of the first quarter, the Raptors had ten bench points to the Lakers’ four, which would be a sign of things to come. The Raptors mostly trailed the Lakers in other significant categories, especially points in the paint, with LA up on the Raptors 22 to eight thanks to efforts from Davis, JaVale McGee, and even Dwight Howard.
Starting in the second quarter, Fred VanVleet kept the Raptors in the game for a short while, but the Lakers picked up the pace and garnered a larger lead. Toronto needed Fred, who finished with 23 points, ten assists, and seven rebounds, because Pascal Siakam was extremely cold to start this game and entered halftime only 3-of-13 from
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have plenty to celebrate through the first few weeks of the season.
After losing their opening game of the season against the Clippers, the Lakers have torn through six straight wins and stand atop the Western Conference.
The Lakers surge has been fueled by yet another astonishing stretch of play from LeBron James, who is averaging 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists per game, including three straight triple-doubles.
Fellow Laker Alex Caruso is also having himse
LOS ANGELES — Amid a renaissance start to the season for both the Los Angeles Lakers as a successful franchise and LeBron James as a dominant player, James says he has no plans to miss games due to load management in anticipation of a postseason run.
“If I’m hurt, I don’t play. If not, I’m playing,” James told ESPN as he knocked on the wooden façade of his locker after the Lakers’ 95-80 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. “That’s what has always been my motto.”
Load management is a hot topic in the NBA after James’ Staples Center cohabitant, Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers, sat out a nationally televised game for the second consecutive week on Wednesday.
James, six years Leonard’s senior and coming off the first major injury of his 17-year career last season when he suffered a torn groin, remains committed to suiting up whenever possible.
Both games that Leonard sat out were part of a back-to-back situation, with Leonard playing the other leg.
James did not want to address how his plan differs from that of Leonard, whom the league determined had a legitimate reason to sit out as he continues to manage an ongoing injury to the patella tendon in his left knee.
“LeBron’s healthy, LeBron’ll play. That’s all I’ll talk about,” James said. “I don’t talk about nobody else but me.”
James had 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range, with six assists and four rebounds in Friday’s win.
The Lakers, off to a 7-1 start thanks in large part to James’ influence, are schedul
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
To say that the Golden State Warriors — once seen as the NBA’s juggernaut after winning five straight Western Conference titles and three championships in a four-year span — have struggled to start the season would be a bit of an understatement. Head coach Steve Kerr lost star Kevin Durant in free agency, while two-time league MVP Steph Curry and five-time NBA All-Star Klay Thompson are both sidelined to recover from serious injuries. Given all of this, the Warriors have started the season at a dismal 2-6.
Without its flashy stars and winning ways, Golden State does not attract the same level of ire from opposing fandoms as it did mere months ago, vacating the much-coveted title of “most hated franchise in the NBA.”
The league’s newest villains, according to sportsinsider.com‘s extensive Twitter analysis, are none other than the Los Angeles Lakers.
Headlined by superstar LeBron James and offseason acquisition Anthony Davis— who have combined for a whopping 15 All-NBA First Team honors in their careers — the Lakers have more firepower than virtually a
While LeBron James and Anthony Davis are the faces of the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers, the most surprising contributor has been Dwight Howard. This resurgence comes just two months after it appeared he was falling out of the league
The Lakers signed Howard in late August after DeMarcus Cousins tore his ACL. It was a surprise reunion for both player and club, as Howard left the Lakers in free agency in 2012 after one tumultuous season.
The signing marked Howard’s sixth team in four years — he was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Atlanta Hawks for the 2016-17 season, then to the Charlotte Hornets for 2017-18, then to the Brooklyn Nets, who bought him out immediately in 2018.
Howard signed with the Washington Wizards for 2018-19 but was limited to just nine games because of a back injury and subsequent back surgery. Howard was then traded to the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason in a salary-dump. He was promptly bought out again, leaving him on the free-agent market, where he didn’t seem to draw much interest until the Lakers gave him a tryout out of necessity.
At the Lakers’ media day in late September, Howard, 33, told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, “I never thought in a million years that me and LeBron would be on the same team.”
Now the two aging stars are united, after a decade that saw their careers go in opposite directions. With the Lakers, Howard has assumed a different role than anyone could have imagined 11 years ago when he was competing
The most stunning part of it all? The one photograph.
Don’t get me wrong. There was plenty of stunning to go around on Monday morning. As the American motorsports world boarded various aircraft to return home from Fort Worth, Austin and Las Vegas and the huge late-season NASCAR, Formula One and NHRA events held in those cities, every row on every plane emitted gasps as their social media timelines filled with the news.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series is being purchased by Roger Penske.
This isn’t a retired Michael Jordan buying the Charlotte Hornets. This is more like LeBron James buying the entire NBA while he’s still playing for the Lakers. Or New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft buying the NFL while he still has Tom Brady behind center and is still winning the Super Bowl every year.
That’s why most of the jokes being thrown around after Monday’s announcement were something along the lines of “What’s the big deal? Doesn’t Roger Penske already own Indianapolis?” accompanied by photos of the team owner they call The Captain posing with his 18 Indy 500 trophies, 18 Indy 500 pole positions, 15 IndyCar/Champ Car Series championships and his 2018 Brickyard 400 trophy.
Now he will work to add to that trophy case by competing on a playground that he actually does own. He becomes only the fourth person to have his name on the deed of the fabled 110-year old Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the first new owner since 1945, when Tony Hulman saved the shuttered, weed-covered Brickyard from extinction after World War II.
Which brings us to that stunning photograph.
Done deal. #IMS #IndyCar pic.twitter.com/lFkm0O2PnK
— Dave Furst (@DaveFurst) November 4, 2019
The image is Roger Penske shaking hands with Hulman’s grandson, Tony George, as they pose for a smiling, symbolic gesture to make the purchase official in the eyes of the public. There they are, on the frontstretch where so many of The Captain’s cars have taken checkered flags and Hulman used to giddily ride on the back of a convertible with his arm around just-crowned Indy 500 champions
CHICAGO — With LeBron James catching his breath after playing nearly the entire third quarter and Anthony Davis sitting on the bench right beside him, saddled with four fouls, the Los Angeles Lakers relied on an unlikely lineup to key a fourth-quarter comeback against the Chicago Bulls.
When Kyle Kuzma, Quinn Cook, Alex Caruso, Dwight Howard and Troy Daniels stepped onto the court to begin the fourth Tuesday, L.A. trailed by 13. Three minutes and 48 seconds of game time later, the Lakers led by 3. L.A. used the 16-0 surge to guide them to a 118-112 win, their sixth victory in a row.
“That’s the Kuz we know,” James said of the Lakers’ third-year forward who pumped in 11 of his 15 points in the final frame.
Kuzma was playing in just his third game this season after being sidelined for nearly three months with a stress reaction in his left ankle suffered during USA Basketball training camp.
He sprung to life Tuesday night by making a 3 on the Lakers’ first possession of the fourth.
Up to that point, he was 1-for-13 from 3 on the season. He finished the fourth quarter by making five of his eight shots in the period.
“Just confidence,” Kuzma said. “Anytime, at least for me, shots go in, I get more and more confidence, and I feel like that’s kind of the gist of what happened tonight.”
In Kuzma’s first two games back, he totaled just 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting. The first half was going in the
The celebs are out in full force costuming it up for Halloween 2019, and boy, they did not come to play.
Some are dressing as other celebs, and some are legitimately trying to give us the spooks. From pop stars to sports legends to actors, celebrities are out here giving it their all. And why shouldn’t they? If you’re going to have a ridiculous amount of money, you better slay us with your Halloween costume. Sorry, we didn’t make the rules.
Here are 17 celebs serving spooky season realness this season.
A multiple shooting at a Halloween party in the Bay Area city of Orinda, California on Thursday left at least four people are dead, according to local media reports.
Bay Area TV station KTVU, citing law enforcement officials, reported that four people were killed in the shooting, with several others wounded.
Police confirmed on Twitter that a “multiple shooting” had taken place, but did not publicly share any details of the number of ca
